Through the Looking Glass
Andrea Gardner and Brit Bunkley
another universe where life could be different, a future that might be uncertain and deeply concerning? (And dogs can smell things that we can’t even imagine…)
In the 21st century our relationship with the natural world is under serious scrutiny. The current geological age, the Anthropocene, has been described as the period in which human activity has been the dominant (and destructive) force on climate and the environment. Conventional ideas about human exceptionalism are being questioned, including how we perceive our relation to animals and the role of ourselves as a species. We (the artists) are interested in a non-hierarchical viewpoint, in thinking about a renewed empathy, attention and awareness towards other species and the plant world. For many people their relationship with a dog provides a powerful experience and link to a non- human world.
The dog stands on top of metal filing cabinets which are very human constructs. Filing cabinets in general suggest that we humans have complicated lives: birth certificates, medical records, wills, old letters, insurance and financial records…all the trappings of modern society. The filing cabinets in our sculpture have a different focus. We have created labels which provide clues and suggestions about research and concerns for planetary well-being.