Join us on Zoom for this virtual lecture by artist Emily Bivens, presented as part of the School of Art + Design Visitors Series.
In this talk, I will discuss the cohabitation of animals and humans.
To get close to wildness is closely associated with notions of taming and to tame is an affront, even violence, to the wildness inherent in animals. I will talk about artwork and literature that present a futile effort to rectify these desired oppositional impossibilities.
I will offer two equally confounding solutions neither of which satisfies a utopian vision of cohabitation. In one scenario, humans keep a distance in order to preserve, which in turn risks disassociation with the natural world and even apathy towards it.
In another, humans embed themselves in a misguided assumption that their presence is benign. Conflicts of taxonomy, ethics of reanimation, and a celebration of the defense mechanism of rodents will be conflated to form my inconclusive theory on how to be human in this world right now.
The talk might be a bit on the sad side only slightly masked with humor.
Registration
Registration is required for this artist talk, which will be in English and delivered via Zoom. | Register Online
About the Artist
Emily Ward Bivens is the recipient of the Ann and Steve Bailey Opportunity Grant and the Tennessee Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowship. Individual work has been shown at Skulpturens Hus, Stockholm, Sweden; Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver, CO; Temple Contemporary, Philadelphia, PA; and DEMO project in Springfield, IL. Her collaborative work with The Bridge Club has been presented at Press Street for Prospect 3+, New Orleans, LA; Museum of Contemporary Art, Santa Barbara, CA; The Texas Biennial, San Antonio, TX. Currents: The Santa Fe International New Media Festival, Santa Fe, NM and the Lawndale Art Center, Houston, TX. Bivens received her BFA from Colorado State University and her MFA from the University of Colorado in Boulder. She is a professor of Time-Based Art at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. emilywardbivens.com
Accessibility
The Art & Design Visitors Series endeavors to be accessible to all. If you have questions or would like to request an accessibility accommodation, please email art@illinois.edu.
