Unifying Biological
Concept /Theme – What is the biological concept around which
you will organize your wunderkammer? Discuss a little bit how you
plan to use the cocept to connect and synthezie objects and aspects of the
museum in an interesting, novel, informative, and potentially eye-opening way
for visitors?
I am particularly
interested in tracing the evolutionary “obsoletes” with relation to artificial
selection. These will focus on peculiar adaptive traits that have disappeared
or have regressed with time. They will be connected in their context as
evolutionary “dead ends.” This will be consolidated in a series of comics that
will shed light on what these vestigial traits showing nature’s order in
contrast to human asthetics. It will give more insight into the history than
the spectacle.
Rationale for this Concept
/Theme – Why ar you interested in this theme? Why is
this a meaningful natural history supplement to a museum experience? What will
a mseum goer learn / experience / think about that they wouldn’t otherwise? (100-200
words)
The theme is interesting
to me because of the contrasted visions of nature vs. human selection in
regards to what constitutes a valuable trait. It is important to understand in
the museum context because it tracks the development and regression of
evolutionary traits in the pursuit of tracing back to common ancestors, of whom
both greatly differ, but ultimately father the beginnings of contemporary
animals. It both pays tribute to the fallen genetics of an overarching
evolutionary spectrum, while also shedding light on the present trends of
breeding naturally detrimental traits. The museum go-er will learn about the
natural progress away from such superfluous, though engaging aspects, and how
it applies to the “domestic bastardization” of the natural world. (i.e. dogs,
pigeons, etc.)
Media format of the
project – What are the components in terms of text,
diagrams, audio, video, etc that you will likely use and why? How will
this be accessible to the general public.
Simply
distributable/collectable zene-formatted books that provide easily readable
illustrated and textual illumination - to be handed out to museum patrons.
Possible, specific items
or components to include in your wunderkammer (so far)
Whale hip bones, domestic
pigeons, possibly more ancient and extinct animals.
ReplyDeleteHi Chris,
This topic has potential, but I am a little unclear what you mean by "regressive" and how you are determining that. Do you simply mean any trait which is not obviously functional or adaptive to an organism "in nature"? That would perhaps connect vestigial hipbones of whales and the feathering of some domesticated breed of pigeon. However I don't see how in wither case this is "regressive" - if anything the whale is LOSING the hipbones and the pigeon has evolved new traits through artificial selection. Be careful with your choice of terms and what they imply, especially since the notion of progress within evolution is so commonplace, but often incorrect.
Some would argue that domesticated breeds - though they couldn't survive in "nature" with traits we've bred into them in fact reproduce better and more successfully as domesticates! What if we consider humans just one other aspect of nature - in that case haven't dogs, tulips, and pigeons done a wonderfully successful job of increasing their numbers and being selected for in a global sense?
So again, work on exactly what the unifying theme is exactly and how you plan to discuss it without slipping in to territory that is unjustified evolutionary. Perhaps you can bring in some of the questions and concerns I raise here conceptually into your zine. Either way, it needs some tightening up.
Plan on also creating a web-accessible / downloadable form of these comics or zine.
Let me know if you have any questions!
best
ay
This assignment was late. This in part kept you from getting any feedback on it from others.
ReplyDeletehey chris,
ReplyDeleteI'm also a little confused as to what the theme is that you're focusing on, though I am interested in this sort of "end of the line" idea through natural selection and it could be helpful if you focus on endangered animals, or now extinct animals, that had a recorded history of being endangered for a long time. I guess you should also consider with these animals, how closely related they are to any of their living relatives, if they have any. such as the quagga to the zebra, type thing.
-guille
from what i saw you taking pictures of at the museum on wednesday i'm really interested in where this could go. i think you can clarify your idea a bit, but thinking of the domestic pigeons at the museum you were taking pictures of it makes a lot more sense to me than when i just read it.
ReplyDeletei'm curious as to what things other than the whale bones and pigeons you'd be using in your project.
-marianne