HUMAN LANDSCAPE by Laura Butler

HUMAN LANDSCAPE by Laura Butler

Humans depend on plants for survival, but why are humans drawn to gaining deeper knowledge of plants and their capabilities? If humans have been underestimating the abilities and intelligence of plants, how would that affect our use and appreciation of them? The way humans currently exploit the environment to fulfill our needs and desires comes from a colonial mindset: plants serve us, there is an endless abundance of plants, and plants need us to survive. To put ourselves at the center of the universe allows us to control the survival of plants, but perhaps if we learned to see them as something more than a resource, something deserving of rights and prosperity, then perhaps we might learn to live alongside them. My artistic practice often uses a combination of research including scientific and pseudo-scientific studies involving plant intelligence, how to care for plants, and the benefits of plants for humans. I demonstrate my findings by anthropomorphizing plants, so the creatures seem intimidating and mysterious. The plant heads are indistinguishable from one another; becoming unruly and chaotic, while the bodies always directly face the audience, suggesting there is an unknown power that makes them equivalent to the viewer. Painting with large areas of flat color eliminates my hand as the artist, so a dichotomy of the man-made plants taking over the space and their human bodies demonstrate their intelligence and sentience. By combining human bodies with plant heads, the abilities of plants are comparable those of humans. The piece submitted to KAG’s juried exhibition, titled Human Landscape, is a 3x4ft acrylic on canvas painting. Human bodies wearing collared shirts are simplified to resemble a mountainous landscape, while organic shapes cover the surface to create an equal and sustainable relationship between body and environment.

LAURA BUTLER

Laura graduated from the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario in April 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts, Honours Specialization in Studio Arts and is currently attending OCAD University in Toronto, taking Interdisciplinary Master’s in Art, Media and Design.
Laura is passionate about art and art history with volunteer and career experience in curatorial work and as a practicing artist.

If you are interested in purchasing a piece of work by this artist, the artist will retain 100% of the sale proceeds from any of their work sold through this exhibit.

Laura Butler
laurabutlerstudio@gmail.com
www.laurabutler.ca
Instagram: @laurabutlerstudio