top of page
Tori Clearwater
Bachelor of Visual Arts Honours
Dunedin School of Art, Otago Polytechnic
Human Nature?
Originally presented at the Animals at the Edge symposium in September 2019
and adapted to written format in August 2020
Foreword:
Animals for many years have been portrayed by humans in countless different forms, as we attempt to understand, capture and control their presence. In modern times we have begun to question the implications of portraying animals, as we seek to define, dominate and understand them in our human minds. In my work I explore human-animal relationships, as well as looking at the environment and the impacts humans have on their surroundings.
Foreword:
Humans have been a driving force behind climate change and extinctions for hundreds of
years. Since the first steps out of Africa man has been wreaking havoc upon the
environment. As technology advanced in the Industrial Revolution, populations boomed,
and consumption and demand went up. As a result we have been pillaging the natural world
with little thought of the future. Our throwaway society, with its convenience products, is
raising its head from the waters of our oceans and spilling onto our shores, as global
warming, pollution, species extinction and ocean acidification begin to show in every corner
of the world. The alarming facts that illuminate what is happening now and what is to come
are generally presented in scientific reports and in the media in numerical form, which can
alienate the individual. The numbers are so large that it seems impossible for one to make a
difference. I hope to challenge this idea and bring statistics to individuals, using art,
specifically sculpture, so an understanding and realisation may be reached.
To view the full essay please click here ->
bottom of page