Arroz con Pollo
Theories of Evolution and Connection
Hen Diagram
Adaptation Module One
Artist Statement
Drawing is my way to explore ideas and develop an understanding of concepts that seem remote or abstract. When I juxtapose different ideas in a drawing, it allows me to think about those ideas and the relationships between them.
“Evolution + Connections” was prompted by last year’s food shortages and riots, in Haiti and elsewhere. The idea grew when I began to think about: what we think of as food; how we grow food to feed to animals that we think of as food; what animals eat; and the evolutionary and other connections between humans and other animals. Children often refer to how “chickens evolved from the dinosaur” and I’m interested in the way chickens are singled out, when there are so many more connections that can be made. We learn about food chains, but on closer examination those chains turn into webs, with many layers of cooperation and competition.
The drawings too have many layers, some with more obvious narrative content than others. Ultimately each drawing evolves from the initial idea and travels a path that follows its own internal logic.
Website
http://rejinleys.com/
I like your work very much and your statement about the connections is well stated. I’d love to see these in person some time.