Natural History #2
[MARS] Melbourne Art Rooms, Port Melbourne VIC, 2007.
Stills Gallery, Paddington NSW, 2007.
Johnston Gallery, Mosmon Park WA, 2008.
Natural History #2 is a series of images depicting animals in artificial environments. The images explore our relationship with the animal world. Increasingly we live in urban societies where we have little or no contact with the natural world. When we do encounter other species it is usually in zoos or museums. This work seeks to amplify the artificial nature of these encounters and to prompt reflection on the impact we have on other animal species and their habitats.
A number of the species depicted in the work are considered under threat or endangered. Some of these animals include: the Cassowary, Tiger, Shark, Loggerhead Turtle, Rhinoceros, Dugong, Polar Bear, Sting Ray and Langur Monkey. Other images depict domesticated animals that have a somewhat closer relationship to the human race. These animals are “cultivated” for human needs and often kept in restrictive environments.
A UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment in 2001 found that “over the past 50 years, humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly and extensively than in any comparable period of time in human history. This has resulted in a substantial and largely irreversible loss in the diversity of life on Earth.” This work seeks to reflect on this ongoing decline of biodiversity around the world and our relationship to it.
