Basic Needs/Creature Comforts
second tier of needs is related to safety. The third tier includes needs regarding love and belonging, the fourth and fifth reference esteem and self-actualization, respectively.
After observing the behaviors of these local animals, I extended these so called "human" needs for belonging, purpose, communication, education, etc to the animal kingdom; determining what beings (animal and human) actually need to survive, and above and beyond that, what they need to live a full life.
Examining the aforementioned as well as the similarities between animals and humans, each pose is taken directly from a specific animal observed and translated to the human form. Additionally, the content and forms in the pieces related specifically to my experience in Argentina -- depicting the senses and feelings received from the culture that had so generously adopted me for this time.
Body of work created while in an artist residency at Residencia Corazon, in La Plata, Argentina. Completed/shown in August 2011 in Argentina and in October 2011 in Minneapolis.
One of my first observations in Buenos Aires and la Plata was the presence of live animals in the city, the selection and quantity of available animal meats on my plate, and animals illustrated on the city walls by street artists. This, paired with the absence of domestic animals when one is traveling (not to mention the absence of the familiar), brought the idea of "creature comforts" to mind. Upon a visit to the La Plata Zoo, instinct and basic needs were added to this thought.
According to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, the basic human needs start with physiological needs for survival. These include: oxygen, food, water, sleep, etc. Once these needs are addressed, the
