Abstract. Version 2.0

Here's the latest abstract, though I'm sure it'll change after going over it with my professors and GSIs tomorrow. Time to go, the cafe is closing...

It seems that many of us now live in a society that is more removed from nature than ever before in history. Yet, words and phrases in our language continue to speak of a time when activities like farming and hunting were part of everyday life. "It’s raining cats and dogs." "A gaggle of geese." "The black sheep of the family." Without knowledge of their origins, we begin to redefine their meaning to make sense in our more urban environment. When taken literally or misinterpreted, these phrases become both humorous and pointed remarks on contemporary society. For my Integrative Project, I will be creating illustrations that explore and reinterpret animal lexicon, idioms, and proverbs. Since animals can act as intermediaries between the human and the ecological world, they serve as both strong subjects and narrators. My ink and watercolor drawings will be exhibited together as matted and framed prints for an audience fluent—or at least interested—in the English language. It is my hope that by illustrating such illogical scenes, the viewer will pause and consider the contemporary relationship we now have with nature and it’s inhabitants.