FINAL MAJOR ARTWORK // Rights Are An Illusion (2015)Â
sculpture / air-drying clay, wire
Over centuries, many theories have been developed in order to make sense our understanding of what defines a human, with Charles Darwinâs âTheory of Evolutionâ at the forefront of this question. His theory suggests that humans share a common ancestry with many other species, having evolved from basic organisms to the complex creatures we are today. However despite the multitudes of evidence that puts us in the same division as other animals, we have carefully categorised the flora and fauna around us to build a biological hierarchy in an attempt to distinguish humans from non-humans and the environment.
When delving further into Darwinâs theory, I came across a certain image repeatedly: a visual timeline, with (usually) six figures all facing the same direction, the first being ape-like and the second standing up straighter and so on, until the final figure appeared as a modern day âhumanâ. These images were attached to the title âHuman Evolutionâ. I found it incredible how thousands of years of change and growth can be encapsulated into one, static image - unquestioned and unchallenged. This documentation of the âhuman evolutionâ always presented the final and current stage of the human as Male and Caucasian. This is interesting because the image itself exudes a sense of progression and innovation - we as a species, have evolved successfully, proven by our current domination over other organisms - but are we then to believe that the âultimateâ form of our evolutionary success is a white male - someone who is in the position of great power and privilege?
I then decided to explore this ironic idea, of how we have accepted our undeniably close relationship with the nature around us (e.g. Eduardo Kac and Kate Clark), yet within our very own species, there is an unspoken set of criteria that make some more âhumanâ than others. Contemporary artists have demonstrated blurring the boundaries between non-humans, our environment, and even the technology (e.g. David Hanson, Neil Harbisson) that is inherently a part of our lives - yet crises such as the Syrian refugee situation is still a current issue within our society. Can we truly believe we are an evolutionary success when those within our own species are treated so inhumanely?
My artwork attempts to evoke further questions about human rights and the general oppression instigated by the privileged in the form of a sculpture. I based the sculpture off the âhuman evolutionâ image, creating six figures facing the same direction. I manipulated the figures so that the separation between each âstageâ in the evolution is abandoned, by firstly separating the air-drying clay into six distinct pieces and then using malleable wire to connect them all together. This affected my progress as each figure I worked with would obviously impact the next, as the wire made it difficult to move the sculpture around. This symbolises the connection between each stage, challenging the idea that our species can be categorised so easily - we are a unit, moving and growing together, not separate entities unaffected by those around us. The end result juxtaposes this idea however, as the first figure is slouched over, each figure slowly straightening until the final âevolvedâ form raises its head, suggesting a visible hierarchy within our species.
I contemplated creating carefully planned out figures, with identifying features such as arms, legs, faces, etc. but the vague human-like forms of each figure appears more striking; more obviously human. I played with this powerful image, liking how the figures were androgynous. As each figure leans onto the next, it creates a sweeping movement, as the audienceâs eyes are drawn to the figure at the end. The final part of the sculpture appears to be a âpersonâ leading the other âpeopleâ, who look melancholic and hopeless, paying tribute to the oppressed, in particular the Syrian refugees, who have to wait in lines in order to receive help. The âleaderâ is human progression and innovation, represented by the wire (technology and science) that twists around it, extending outwards in the form of a hand. Other body parts are attached to the final figure to signify the grotesque evolution that has occurred in the form of oppression.
Ideally, the sculpture would be life-size and placed in a room where the audience can walk around it and interact with it, perhaps even holding the wire hand as an act of empathy - one human helping another. Through this interaction I hope to evoke further questions about the future of our evolution as humans.
Syrian Refugees, A snapshot of the crisis â in the middle east and europe, Migration Policy Centre at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy (2012-2013) <http://syrianrefugees.eu/> Last accessed: 14/09/15
Collective Evolution, AI Robot Learns Words In Real Time & Tells Human Creators It Will Keep Them In A âPeople Zooâ (2015) <http://www.collective-evolution.com/2015/09/02/ai-robot-learns-words-in-real-time-tells-human-creators-it-will-keep-them-in-a-people-zoo/> Last accessed: 10/09/15
Kac, Natural History of the Enigma. (n.d.)<http://www.ekac.org/nat.hist.enig.html> Last accessed: 10/09/15
National Geographic, An artistsâs twist on taxidermy blurs the boundaries of humanity (2015) <http://proof.nationalgeographic.com/2015/07/24/a-twist-on-taxidermy-blurs-the-boundaries-of-humanity/>Â Last accessed: 10/09/15
Sociologyguide.com, Human Evolution (2015) <http://www.sociologyguide.com/introduction-to-sociology/human-evolution.php>Â Last accessed: 10/09/15
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