Contemporary Australian artist Patricia Piccinini works across several art forms including photography, video and sculpture. Much of her work is informed by her interest in developments in bio-technologies including genetic engineering and tissue and stem cell technologies.
Social studies presents the ordinary – three young boys with their skateboards in a car park on a sunny day – with the extraordinary – a strange looking hairless creature with a heavy body and tiny legs. Despite the creature’s strange appearance, and its unexpected presence in the car park, the three young boys have gathered around it, crouching to get a closer look. They appear captivated by the creature. The creature, with its uplifted head, appears equally fascinated by them.
Like many of Piccinini’s artworks, the photograph presents an imaginative scenario that suggests possibilities and questions about the future.
Piccinini created the creature in the photograph, known as SO2, after learning that scientists had successfully synthesized DNA to create the first synthetic organism, SO1. While SO1 is a life form made entirely from chemicals, Piccinini’s SO2 began life as a drawing. Further design work was done on the computer. The artist then worked with expert model makers to give SO2 physical form. The model and digital images of SO2 have featured in a range of artworks by the artist.
Classroom discussion:
- Identify at least three factors that focus attention on SO2 in the composition.
- Describe the young boys’ reaction to SO2. Why do you think they have reacted in this way?
- What is your response to SO2? What makes you think this?
- The artist titled the artwork Social studies. Why might she have chosen this title?
- Do you think an image like this is an effective way to get people thinking about the future? Why? What other means are used to get us thinking about the future? How is the way we engage with these different to how we engage with the visual arts?
Reference:
I. Crombie, Light Sensitive – Contemporary Photography from the Loti Smorgon Fund (exh. cat.). National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 2006.