Cecelia Clapham BFA General Fine Arts Thesis Spring 2013
Selective breeding and this project are important to me because I grew up so surrounded by selective breeding that I was blind to its consequences. Selective breeding is when humans decide which members of a species are allowed to mate based on traits that can be passed on to their offspring. Using this tactic, humans have created animals for every purpose from hunting to food to clothing to just being a companion. There are many times when the well-being of the animal is diminished and the question of whether or not se-lective breeding is ethical arises. I decided to use mold-making and slip casting as a parallel process to selective breeding in order to explore this morally questionable act. Each of my series has a story that is tied to both real world cases of selective breeding and the process of making.
My artwork consists of five series; three of my series have seven pieces and two have five pieces for a total of thirty-three sculptures. Each series represents an animal species that I “bred” (through the mold-making process) to have a desired trait, for example texture. The five animals (tortoise, bear, squirrel, sheep, and guinea pig) were originally found objects that I created plaster molds from. They are displayed in a way that presents their changes in a biological context as though they were actual specimens. My goal is to make the audience aware of just how ridiculous selective breeding really is.
Ursus americanus cobaltus
The Blue Bears used in several American traveling circuses were originally the common black bear. Throughout the 1800s they were used for various acts, such as riding a tricycle or dancing with their trainer. During this time t
Ursus americanus cobaltus
The Blue Bears used in several American travelling circuses were originally the common black bear. Throughout the 1800s they were used for various acts, such as riding a tricycle or dancing with their trainer. During this time
Ursus americanus cobaltus
The Blue Bears used in several American travelling circuses were originally the common black bear. Throughout the 1800s they were used for various acts, such as riding a tricycle or dancing with their trainer. During this time
Ursus americanus cobaltus
The Blue Bears used in several American travelling circuses were originally the common black bear. Throughout the 1800s they were used for various acts, such as riding a tricycle or dancing with their trainer. During this time
Ovis aries puerilis
Sheep have long been a domestic species used for food and clothing, but much like dogs and cats as the times changed people no longer re-lied on the sheep for utilitarian purposes. Some people adopted them as pets and began breeding
Ovis aries puerilis
Sheep have long been a domestic species used for food and clothing, but much like dogs and cats as the times changed people no longer re-lied on the sheep for utilitarian purposes. Some people adopted them as pets and began breeding
Cavia superporcellus
The Super Guinea Pig was developed in Peru in the hopes of creating an international demand for the meat. The guinea pig, or Cavy, has been a significant part of Peruvian culture and diet for thousands of years, but outside of the
Scuirus rococo
The ancestral origins of the Fancy Squirrel have not been determined; however they are likely a subspecies of the fox squirrel. The most well-known breeders of Fancy Squirrels are the Stult family who supposedly began breeding squirrels i
Scuirus rococo
The ancestral origins of the Fancy Squirrel have not been determined; however they are likely a subspecies of the fox squirrel. The most well-known breeders of Fancy Squirrels are the Stult family who supposedly be-gan breeding squirrels
Testudo meandrotesta
The Meandros shell tortoise is so called for the resemblance of the texture pattern of its shell to that of the Greek decorative design. This shell has been prized as an ornament for various peoples over the centuries, how-ever begi
Testudo meandrotesta
The Meandros shell tortoise is so called for the resemblance of the texture pattern of its shell to that of the Greek decorative design. This shell has been prized as an ornament for various peoples over the centuries, how-ever begi
Testudo meandrotesta
The Meandros shell tortoise is so called for the resemblance of the texture pattern of its shell to that of the Greek decorative design. This shell has been prized as an ornament for various peoples over the centuries, how-ever begi
