Patricia Piccinini- reflections

Piccinini’s work mainly revolves around a Hybrid focus. It specifically targets the act of genetic modification, and the subsequent ethical arguments. Do the many ’guinea pigs’ in laboratories around the world feel the pain? Should they, being technically part human have similar rights? As the continuity of research and science does not seem able to cease, Piccinini claws at our emotions searching for a sympathetic response at these confronting images of mutilated creatures. The idea of the “other and lesser being” definitely is portrayed throughout her work, with the question; “who truly has the right to be superior?” echoed in hushed tones. The works encourage us to endeavor into our species past where race and even gender had been marked inferior, what makes an animal’s cause any less important? The creatures are represented with gentle and relaxed body language, which predicates emotions of hopelessness and innocence. The children represented with the creatures aid these emotions as they give each piece a raw perception with compassion and refuse to the illogical. This causes us to think; What is truly the reality? Is it their hopelessness or our ignorance?