Creatures of Creation
Animals are central to the human experience. Creatures of all walks of life have continuously fascinated and intrigued us, whether in the wild or as steadfast companions. Animals are portrayed in images across culture and time, from prehistoric to contemporary art. Their significance in imagery made by people reflects their essential role in humanity and nature. Animals create and balance our ecosystems and improve our health and wellbeing. Given our close relationship, it is no surprise that animals figure prominently in literature, mythology, scripture, and art. They appear not only as subjects of observation, but as companions, symbols, and active participants within narratives. This exhibition explores the presence of animals in art across centuries, revealing their enduring importance and central place in human creativity.
In the Christian tradition, real and fantastical creatures populate stories of origin, temptation, redemption, and triumph. The majesty of Creation is enlivened with detailed and bountiful depictions of wildlife. Sometimes animals are allegorical, recognized as symbols of virtue and vice. As visual attributes, they can help viewers identify certain figures. In both religious and secular images, animals exist as realities of daily life: laboring alongside humans, inhabiting domestic interiors, or offering comfort. Artists today continue to build on longstanding traditions, while expanding visual language to reflect personal experience as they design their artistic expressions. Whether symbolic or realistic, these creatures of creation allow us to marvel at the vastness and strange wonder of our world and the artistic bounty of animals in art.
© 2019 Julia Lucey
