“Seeing too much of ourselves in other animals might not be the problem we think it is. Under appreciating our own animal natures may be the greater limitation.”
That’s from this fine article in NYT Sunday by BARBARA NATTERSON-HOROWITZ and KATHRYN BOWERS, well worth reading and considering. The idea that we were so far distinct from the animals we share this planet with is fairly recent, 1860s or so…and feeds a lot of pretty dysfunctional thinking about our place in the Great Chain.
Imagine the impact on religion if we were to wake up to the fact that we are not so special after all. Imagine the toll such a view would take on diet, resource consumption, sport, etc. We have a lot invested in seeing ourselves as distinct and special…and yet more and more evidence points to the fact that we are the ones who are clueless. All of nature understands the interconnectedness of life.
I so agree… one of the best projects at my art college (Harrow in UK) was ‘my animal self’ , the results were good enough to be in the recent Harrow exhibition catalogue… It seemed to release parts of people they couldn’t access before. Very inspiring
I’d be so interested in learning more about your project–is there any info online? Thanks for the comment, Carys!
Sorry Cass – I can’t find anything other than the page in the catalogue which I can’t work out how to post in a comment. I can send it tou if you like – send me your email, mine is carysdavies@fastmail.fm
Oh Carys thanks so much for sleuthing! You can send it to cass.v2 at gmail.com. Thanks and thanks!
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Have just sent you the picture. I got a bit confused as another blog http://conetenanddescending.wordpress.com/ was talking about the sister publication, ‘material matters’ so ignore that! very best
I love this cover–what a great and fully engaging project, while looking I immediately started visualizing what creature I would be and how I would express it–it would have to be kinetic since that’s how I experience these beasties around us. Thanks as always Carys!
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