In Which Alfred Russel Wallace encounters an ‘Orang Utan attacked by Dyaks’ (Jacob and Angel) (2009)
Description
The writings of 19 century naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace are shot-through with contradictory discourses on the modern relationship to nature. In The Malay Archipelago, enlightenment, functionality and distance wrestles with Wallace’s romantic yearning for spiritual-communion and ruptures the stability of the narrative.
In a scene from an animated film made in 2009, a famous photograph of Wallace taken in 1862 in Singapore is ‘emptied’. The positive image of Wallace wanders off into the forest and the negative space—a cut-out silhouette—is invaded by illustrations from The Malay Archipelago. Together with In Which Alfred Russel Wallace encounters ‘remarkable beetles’ and ‘glorious wings’, this woodprint-collage work recast two scenes from said film.
Medium
Wood print collage from a 1930’s teak bed on paper
Dimensions
185 x 150cm