Rowen Delaney
My work is made to show the uneasy relationship shared between humans and animals through the creation of these dream-like figures. The animals I choose to create these figures with, to me, can be placed into one of two categories: the often misrepresented, and the symbolic.
Often, certain animals tend to be misrepresented to the general public through multiple ways, making them appear more vicious, unappealing or ‘ugly’, and therefore less likely to receive the same kinder and empathetic treatment as animals that have been otherwise widely accepted as ‘likeable’. Animals are also constantly being used to symbolically represent different, more human, personalities, emotions, actions or even baser instincts- often in a positive light.
By applying the human faces to both of these groups, it humanises them to the same degree, showing how people should have any more or less sympathy/empathy for one group over the other, while the uncanny and earie nature to the creatures is intended to still show how humanising animals, to any extent, can cause problems and potential danger to both the animals and to humans.
Often, certain animals tend to be misrepresented to the general public through multiple ways, making them appear more vicious, unappealing or ‘ugly’, and therefore less likely to receive the same kinder and empathetic treatment as animals that have been otherwise widely accepted as ‘likeable’. Animals are also constantly being used to symbolically represent different, more human, personalities, emotions, actions or even baser instincts- often in a positive light.
By applying the human faces to both of these groups, it humanises them to the same degree, showing how people should have any more or less sympathy/empathy for one group over the other, while the uncanny and earie nature to the creatures is intended to still show how humanising animals, to any extent, can cause problems and potential danger to both the animals and to humans.