Event 3

For my third event, I went to the Museum of Jurassic Technology. They do not allow photography inside the museum, so I will be using images from the Museum of Jurassic Technology’s website and other sources to explain what I had seen.

 

Proof of attendance at the Museum of Jurassic Technology

The Museum of Jurassic Technology held multiple exhibitions and collections that were related to our studies in Desma 9. My favorite exhibition was the Micromosaics of Harald Henry Dalton. Henry Dalton was a prominent physician and was a well-skilled micrographer, who created microscopic creations through design of numerous butterfly wings (“The Life of Work of Henry Dalton”). Although beautiful in craftsmanship, his art is controversial. Every shard on Dalton’s creation is an individual scale of a butterfly’s wings. To create one artwork, he would be sacrificing hundreds of butterflies. Contemporary art, such as this, degrades animals and insects to the status of mere artistic material (Zammit-Lucia). We have discussed in class about how genetic modification of animals for art was highly debatable and may be ethically wrong (Vesna). Creations such as Dalton’s art is an extension of this thought and should be questioned. Is it reasonable for artists to use sacrifice animals and insects for creations of art? I believe that artists could use animals and insects for their creations if they have met a natural death. Thus, for Dalton’s creations, I would only agree to his process of art if he had found dead butterflies and use their scales. However, we have no way to institute this rule if we do not have the government’s help. Thus, I believe that biotech art should be limited in a sanctioned area and have rules defining what is ethical.

Henry Dalton’s creation using butterfly wings.

Henry Dalton’s art can only be seen through a magnifying glass.

Sources:

1. “The Life and Work of Henry Dalton.” The Museum Of Jurassic Technology, www.mjt.org/exhibits/dalton/dalton.html.
2. Zammit-Lucia, Joe. “Practice and Ethics of the Use of Animals in Contemporary Art.” Oxford Handbooks, Oxford University Press, 16 June 2017, www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199927142.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199927142-e-002.
3. Vesna, Victoria. “5 Bioart pt1 1280x720.” YouTube, YouTube, 18 Sept. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=737&v=PaThVnA1kyg.

Image Sources:

1. “A Cabinet of Wonder.” The Economist, The Economist Newspaper, 10 Sept. 2009, www.economist.com/node/14397777.
2. Cueto, Cathleen P. “Artist of the Week: Henry Dalton.” Swings and Arrows, 7 Dec. 2011, swingsandarrows.blogspot.com/2011/12/artist-of-week-henry-dalton.html.