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¨Kiwi¨
Animal Extinction
26.5¨ x 14.75¨ x 1.25¨
It is estimated that by the end of the 21st century, two thirds of all the animals on the planet will be extinct. Human actions are the main source of this sweeping extinction. Paradoxically we use our awesome creative capabilities—thanks to large, highly developed brains, dexterous fingers with opposing thumbs that give us the means to craft nearly anything—in our dominance and degradation of the earth.
In this work, the man has made a disguise from an elk's skin, using deception to chase the quarry (the Kiwi) into his net. The flightless Kiwi is no longer abundant and I have used it to express how helpless animals are compared to ingenious humans. The work is meant to ask the question why is it that human beings can use these advanced skills merely to use the planet's resources. Why can't we use this ability to begin working for a healthy earth? We are an integral part of the planet but continue to view ourselves as something separate. Just as the elk's skin is a deception to the Kiwi, it is also a delusion to the human masking himself from the rest of the earth.