“Breather II” by Lauria Clarke
Title:
- Breather II
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Artist Statement:
Distinguishing between the living and the non-living is a core, evolutionary function of the human brain. While the distinction is easily drawn in daily life, a definition of the rules governing this casual act of discretion eludes thinkers throughout history. We may be closer than ever to finding a unified definition of aliveness, yet the line between the living and the non-living is increasingly difficult to draw. Long held characteristics of plant and animal life are no longer strictly synonymous with the living, leaving a diffused boundary where we once believed harder lines.
Breather II respires through nipple-like pores in its skin, exploring the subtle movement of breath and the flexibility of a living skeleton. It is a hybrid being, stranded along an evolutionary path both future and past. Without apparent function, its form remains suspended in time, neither an efficient expression of evolved change nor a disjointed assemblage filled with potential. Its body is in-between, paralyzed in the face of chaotic environmental factors and the capital driven, synthetic genetics that surround it. Sometimes breathing quickly, sometimes slowly, its motion is reminiscent of a being which is panicked, hard at work, or fast asleep. Like any living body illuminated in the dark, its shadow stands alone and untethered, reflecting the life held within.
