Who Holds The Strings?
Limited Edition of 3 only (+1 AP)
150cm x 150cm (print)
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The examination of the Nature/Culture dichotomy seeks to unpack a complex interaction that intertwines and reciprocally shapes two constructs that have long been seen as oppositional within Western thought. This series of large format prints delves into a profound understanding that nature and culture are not bifurcated realms but interdependent processes that ceaselessly interact, produce, and dismantle one another.
Historically, the Western intellectual tradition has been dominated by a clear-cut distinction between nature and culture, a dichotomy often traced back to Descartes’s philosophical declaration: “cogito ergo sum” (I think therefore I am). This Cartesian division placed humans in a unique category, differentiated from nature, due to their cognitive faculties. Such a binary formulation resulted in a hierarchical structure that has been both politically charged and, for some, inherently oppressive. This dichotomy was entrenched for centuries as a foundational concept, influencing the way many phenomena were perceived and understood.
The inquiry presented in the series challenges this dichotomy by emphasizing the essential relationship between humans and their environment. It recognizes that humanity’s existence necessitates an environment that sustains life, providing essential resources such as food, air, and water. The prevailing attitude that views the environment as a reservoir to be exploited, rather than a partner in a complex ecological interplay, threatens not only the environment itself but humanity’s continued existence.
Through visual representations, the series proposes an alternative understanding, one that rejects a dialectical binary relationship between nature and culture. Instead, it articulates a nuanced interpretation where nature and culture are seen as mutually constitutive, engaged in a dynamic process of creation and destruction. This perspective invites a reconsideration of how we approach and interact with the environment, promoting a more harmonious and sustainable relationship. In doing so, it contributes to ongoing discourses that seek to reconcile humanity with its natural surroundings, reevaluating and transcending historical divisions that have shaped our interactions with the world.
