Donald and Era Farnsworth: I Forget I’m Human
September 22 - November 18
*Opening Reception 9/22 5-7pm
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I Forget I’m Human explores the relationship between humanity and the environment, with a particular focus on how science and myth have shaped human values from ancient times to the present day. For centuries, diverse cultures living all over the planet have developed symbols and images to consider humanity’s place in the universe. Our work draws from this universal alphabet of symbols, motifs, and color, all invested by their human originators with a distinct meaning or spiritual significance. In particular, this series focuses on notions of the sacred and valuable in the context of human culture and its relation to the environment. From ancient gods with the heads of animals to living, breathing endangered species; from the capitalistic fever for accumulated wealth to precious natural resources like clean air and water, what we value is evident not only in our behavior as a species, but in the myths we make and the images that accompany them.
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Since the earliest myths were conceived, the sun has symbolized the power of nature in humanity’s conception of its relationship to the environment and the sacred. Even our moon, which gives off no light of its own, is dependent on the sun – without which there would be no moonlight. From the ancient Indian sages who associated the sun with enlightenment (eventually inspiring the halo in Christian art) to the contemporary issue of global warming, the sun represents both the nurturing and the destructive powers of the environment. A potent symbol of the relationship between humanity and the environment can be found in the form of the umbrella: a nearly ubiquitous presence in Buddhist iconography, the umbrella is also assigned a powerful spiritual significance in various other traditions. Several of our recent works draw upon the umbrella as a symbol of humanity’s coexistence with nature as we strive, regardless of epoch or nationality, for a balanced and spiritually meaningful existence.
Both the content and the techniques used to create these works reflect our desire to find common ground across centuries and borders. Nearly all of the compositions in I Forget I’m Human include multiple layers of both hand-painted and digitally generated elements, creating a palimpsest-like effect that echoes the weathered patina and wabi-sabi of works that have survived from ancient times while also incorporating contemporary digital processes. A series of works depicting therianthropic (animal-human hybrid) deities harkens back to those appearing in the earliest surviving human artworks while also incorporating elements from Buddhist, Hindu, Judeo-Christian, Islamic and Jungian iconographies. Early humans thought of these supernatural “composite” beings as intermediaries between life on earth and the spirit world; like the umbrella, they serve as a symbolic link between two realms, suggesting a harmonious coexistence – a unity – of humanity and our environment. It is a contemplation of this unity – a kind of spiritual-ecological understanding, what the Quakers would call a “right relationship” with the environment – that inspires our work.
Both the content and the techniques used to create these works reflect our desire to find common ground across centuries and borders. Nearly all of the compositions in I Forget I’m Human include multiple layers of both hand-painted and digitally generated elements, creating a palimpsest-like effect that echoes the weathered patina and wabi-sabi of works that have survived from ancient times while also incorporating contemporary digital processes. A series of works depicting therianthropic (animal-human hybrid) deities harkens back to those appearing in the earliest surviving human artworks while also incorporating elements from Buddhist, Hindu, Judeo-Christian, Islamic and Jungian iconographies. Early humans thought of these supernatural “composite” beings as intermediaries between life on earth and the spirit world; like the umbrella, they serve as a symbolic link between two realms, suggesting a harmonious coexistence – a unity – of humanity and our environment. It is a contemplation of this unity – a kind of spiritual-ecological understanding, what the Quakers would call a “right relationship” with the environment – that inspires our work.
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