A non-consumer culture

When was the last time you were in a place that wasn't consumer oriented? We are so used to being marketed to here in the US that we don't even register the input most of the time. This summer I visited the Westman Islands of Iceland and experienced a place that was almost devoid of outdoor advertising. It took me a day or so to realize what I wasn't seeing - no billboards, no flyers, no bus advertising... just daily life. That was when I noticed the beauty of the pure shapes of the buildings, the blue of the sky as a the 'negative shape' created by the rooflines, and the lovely bright and faded paint colors. I wonder what kind of art would be possible when an artist wasn't flooded daily with images and messages from the corporate world?