irena kennedy - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by irena kennedy

In this essay I will focus on my artistic practice, discussing the dialogue/influence in the use ... more In this essay I will focus on my artistic practice, discussing the dialogue/influence in the use of canine as a companion species and as an accessory and commodity, with ideals of perfection implemented through breed standards set out in dog shows. I include the constructs of the zoo, and its humanistic influence, and how these themes have moulded and adapted my theoretical discourse and art practice. This paper has been written in the time of the Covid 19 lockdown, and because of this world changing event, I have added an epilogue to discuss the impact it may have on the human and non-human animals mentioned in this paper. ANIMAL OR ACCESSORY Contrary to lots of dangerous and unethical projection in the Western world that makes domestic canines into furry children, dogs are not about oneself. Indeed, that is the beauty of dogs. They are not a projection, nor a realization of an intention, nor the telos of anything. They are dogs; i.e., a species in obligatory, constitutive, historical, protean relationship with human beings… 1-Donna Haraway In her companion species manifesto, Haraway has used terms such as cohabitation, symbiotic relationship, and companion animal in some of her analysis of domesticated dogs' relationship with their human companions. Her terminology, relating to this notion of companion species, speaks to an interrelationship with non-human animals, which is genuine and equal, and contrasts with terms like master, owner, and parent (all terms of hierarchy). Haraway's referral to the Western world's "furry children", in the opening quote, resonates, when associated with pop culture and media influence. I was reading such texts in 2005, when Paris Hilton was at the height of social influencing, and constant media images of her chihuahua, Tinkerbell, appearing in her hand bag adorned with clothing and jewels matching that of her human companion, set the stage for fashion trends of accessorised companion animals. 2 Although the use of animals as accessories was not an entirely new concept, the media attention that this drew set off worldwide trends. Adornment of dogs, coupled with dyed hair and painted claws, anthropomorphised the non-human companion.

This exegesis constructs the documentary component of the studio research project: Traversing the... more This exegesis constructs the documentary component of the studio research project: Traversing the Zoo: A Studio Research Project Examining Thresholds between Nature and Spatial Practice. This research aims to investigate the spatial constructs of the Zoo and the man-made nature environments within through the processes of writing and making. Examination of the Zoo's spatial constructs ignites discourse surrounding the threshold as an in-between liminal space of transition, separate from the inside and outside spaces. This threshold identifies itself as the place where the viewer is positioned, engaging with dialectics surrounding the way we view through investigating the history of optics and the power of viewing. This is discussed via Michel Foucault's writing on the panoptic and Margaret Olin's writing on the 'gaze'. The 'inside' space ofthe enclosure is defined as the 'other' space through Foucault's writing on heterotopias, and the subjective investigation of the 'uncanny' is considered in both Sigmund Freud's and Anthony Vidler's writings. The negative space of the animal is used as a reference through its physical absence in my work; thereby its presence is both known and felt. Through this absence the objects within the space are highlighted - as is the structure of the enclosure - whether it is a cage or naturalistic enclosure. Baudrillard's writing on simulation simulacra is applied, in part, to the 'nature' found within the enclosure to identify its underlying role. Nature and its man-made fabrication are examined and applied to the naturalistic enclosure through the joining of nature and culture. Throughout this research I have been constructing my own 'natures' based around those found in the Zoo and modelled from New Zealand/Aotearoa's natural environment. This examination of space and nature has progressed through installations at various venues in New Zealand/ Aotearoa and Australia, comprising of sculptural objects fabricated in fired clay, rendered cement, cast metal and glass.

Scope: Contemporary Research Topics (Art & Design 19)