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Stretching Out: Species Extinction and Planetary Aesthetics in Contemporary Art

Stretching Out: Species Extinction and Planetary Aesthetics in Contemporary Art Australian and New Zealand Journal of Art, 2017, vol. 17, no. 1, 2–16 https://doi.org/10.1080/14434318.2017.1333403 Stretching Out: Species Extinction and Planetary Aesthetics in Contemporary Art Susan Ballard * If we judge our actions innocent and we win, we win nothing, history goes on as before, but if we lose, we lose everything, being unprepared for some possi- ble catastrophe. A desolate monkey wears a fur coat to its own burial. Another animal, perhaps also a monkey, definitely simian, attends the same ritual a few years later; this time there is a little more context. This second creature plays the role of guru. Others look to it for answers. It is likely that it has something to say about extinction, and the audience has many questions. Francis Upritchard’s Mask Monkey (2009) and Ug Monkey (2009, Figure 1) each represent a human urge to understand. The monkeys perform a service that helps humans imagine what a species is, or might become. The dreams we place onto these creatures constantly turn back on us; as if these miniature inert figures of modelling clay, fur and recycled leather contain the memories of a former utopian life. Passive, weighty, silent and mournful, Upritchard’s visionary creatures http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Australian and New Zealand Journal of Art Taylor & Francis

Stretching Out: Species Extinction and Planetary Aesthetics in Contemporary Art

Ballard, Susan
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Art , Volume 17 (1): 15 – Jan 2, 2017
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Stretching Out: Species Extinction and Planetary Aesthetics in Contemporary Art

Abstract

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Art, 2017, vol. 17, no. 1, 2–16 https://doi.org/10.1080/14434318.2017.1333403 Stretching Out: Species Extinction and Planetary Aesthetics in Contemporary Art Susan Ballard * If we judge our actions innocent and we win, we win nothing, history goes on as before, but if we lose, we lose everything, being unprepared for some possi- ble catastrophe. A desolate monkey wears a fur coat to its own burial. Another animal, perhaps also a monkey,...
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Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Copyright
© 2017 The Art Association of Australia and New Zealand, Inc
ISSN
2203-1871
eISSN
1443-4318
DOI
10.1080/14434318.2017.1333403
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Art, 2017, vol. 17, no. 1, 2–16 https://doi.org/10.1080/14434318.2017.1333403 Stretching Out: Species Extinction and Planetary Aesthetics in Contemporary Art Susan Ballard * If we judge our actions innocent and we win, we win nothing, history goes on as before, but if we lose, we lose everything, being unprepared for some possi- ble catastrophe. A desolate monkey wears a fur coat to its own burial. Another animal, perhaps also a monkey, definitely simian, attends the same ritual a few years later; this time there is a little more context. This second creature plays the role of guru. Others look to it for answers. It is likely that it has something to say about extinction, and the audience has many questions. Francis Upritchard’s Mask Monkey (2009) and Ug Monkey (2009, Figure 1) each represent a human urge to understand. The monkeys perform a service that helps humans imagine what a species is, or might become. The dreams we place onto these creatures constantly turn back on us; as if these miniature inert figures of modelling clay, fur and recycled leather contain the memories of a former utopian life. Passive, weighty, silent and mournful, Upritchard’s visionary creatures

Journal

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Art – Taylor & Francis

Published: Jan 2, 2017

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