Animal Awareness ISU

Thesis:

Society looks at animals as if they were made to belong to humans, instead of treating them as equals.

what hides inside meat trucks:

In this image, street artist Banksy has placed life-like stuffed animals sticking out of a meat truck driving down the streets of New York City. The farm animals have their mouths open and the eyes are wide to show the distress these animals suffer through behind closed doors (or trucks). People who witnessed the truck stated that it was very loud and it sounded like the animals were trying to escape. The contrast & attitude in the image lies within the facial expressions of the

stuffed animals in the truck, they looked like they are in a lot of discomfort and clearly not happy. There is a lot of symbolism in this image as well, the stuffed animals representing real animals that are transported in this truck but are hidden from the public show the harsh reality of the meat industry in today’s society. Relating back to my thesis, we think it is okay to treat animals as though they were made for us to use and abuse, when in reality they were created just simply to co-exist with humans as another species. Society ignores the disturbing actions that remain hidden in these places because it is not affecting them on a personal level. To conclude, there needs to be powerful, even upsetting stunts such as this one to change anything, people are going to blindly allow this to happen as long as it stays silent.

not for your entertainment:

In this image, also created by Banksy, it is showing that humans treat animals as objects of entertainment instead of viewing them with value. The placement of the tiger shows that it is stronger than the cages in the background of the image. The tiger appears bigger than the cage because it has been placed in the foreground, which reminds society not to forget that these animals are not toys nor are they objects for the public. The barcode that has been bent symbolizes the cage the tiger has escaped from. The bent cage shows the strength that is in this tiger and how even though humans in society try and hold back these animals and use them for entertainment, animals like this are still animals and know where they deserve to be and not to be. In relation to my hypothesis, humans buy these animals because society looks at them as objects, something to look at. We often forget that we are so closely related to these animals and we act very similar to each other. So if the roles were reversed, how would the human species react in a situation like this?

shining a light on animal testing:

To continue, this image was taken from a show Banksy had created, a number of different issues were exposed by somewhat unusual art and were made into animations to prove a point. In this image particularly, a rabbit is shown filing their nails and wearing makeup. The symbolism of this photo shows how humans in our society treat animals of other species. The rabbit wearing make up symbolizes the use of bunnies and other small animals in makeup and other hygiene product testing. Humans often forget that they are just a species living amongst other species and because they have evolved faster, believe they have the right to act superior to other species. The lighting in this photo places the rabbit in the light to, in a way, shine a light on what is so often ignored. The cosmetics have always been out in the open, Banksy’s goal was to finally put the behind-the-scenes out in the open.

effects of pollution:

Lastly, this street art is showing the effects that littering has not only on humans, but other species too. The bear has no food to eat because the fish has been killed by the pollution in the water. The dark tone of colours and somewhat lack of colour in this image represents what is going to be lost in the earth if this degree of pollution continues to occur. The contrast of the little bit of green left on the wall to black of the bear represents the future for the earth. The water level has become so high it has started to make the bear disappear. This symbolizes the effect that the current level of pollution in today’s society has on wildlife. All species will be affected by this issue, not just humans. In relation to my thesis, this photo helps to show the lack of awareness humans have for other species. The environment itself and the human species are society’s main concern, often ignoring the effect their pollution has on other species, which demonstrates the neglect society shows animals.

To summarize, the value of other species is often forgotten in society because they provide humans with things like food, entertainment and cosmetics. Ignoring the pain and discomfort these animals go through for humans when in reality were only made to co-exist with the human species.

References

Banksy. (n.d.). Rabbit with cosmetics [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.artofthestate.co.uk/Banksy/banksy-versus-bristol-museum-032-rabbit-cosmetics.htm

Banksy. (2010, February 5). Fair abuse [Illustration]. Retrieved from http://www.yalelawtech.org/ip-in-the-digital-age/fair-abuse/

Banksy. (2011, September 5). [Bear fighting for food]. Retrieved from http://www.thegreenwichphantom.co.uk/category/greenwich-wildlife/

Banksy. (2013, October 12). Fresh meats truck [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2455637/Banksys-latest-New-York-art-piece-roving-truck-filled-lively-stuffed-animals.html