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| 'Bella Badger' 2013 By Alexandra Ball |
Category: Anthropomorphism
Alexandra Ball has anthropomorphised many animals in this illustration. They all reflect a different human quality, mixing a variety of ages and species, which confronts the view that “simplistic characterizations that assume that terms that apply to humans cannot apply to animals”(1) does not relate to Balls work. She has set a scene of what would generally be a typical human situation but she has replaced what would be human figures with that of anthropomorphic animals. Ball has created two of the characters in the image to portray a profession, a baker and a green grocer. Ball has acted upon the fact that humans “have an enormous ability to treat representations as person like”(2). Seeing an anthropomorphic character performing a task that humans would see on a day to day basis causes the image to become a lot more relatable to and also easier to accept that although it may not be a normal scene to view, the animals are tolerable none-the-less. “At one level of analysis anthropomorphism may be held to be the general character of thought and expression” (3) which is portrayed in ‘Bella Badger’. Each of the characters in the illustration represent friendliness and show an aura of calmness. Ball has created this in her work by drawing smiles and joyful faces on the characters whose profiles can be seen, proving that ‘expression’ is key to anthropomorphism. ‘Expression’ would have worked in the same way had the characters been angry, sad, shy etc. The general ‘thought’ that is demonstrated in the illustration appears to be that of Ball herself. The characters reflect what she would have been thinking when she created the image, wanting to display how humans should be interacting in real life through her anthropomorphic animals.
Alexandra Ball has anthropomorphised many animals in this illustration. They all reflect a different human quality, mixing a variety of ages and species, which confronts the view that “simplistic characterizations that assume that terms that apply to humans cannot apply to animals”(1) does not relate to Balls work. She has set a scene of what would generally be a typical human situation but she has replaced what would be human figures with that of anthropomorphic animals. Ball has created two of the characters in the image to portray a profession, a baker and a green grocer. Ball has acted upon the fact that humans “have an enormous ability to treat representations as person like”(2). Seeing an anthropomorphic character performing a task that humans would see on a day to day basis causes the image to become a lot more relatable to and also easier to accept that although it may not be a normal scene to view, the animals are tolerable none-the-less. “At one level of analysis anthropomorphism may be held to be the general character of thought and expression” (3) which is portrayed in ‘Bella Badger’. Each of the characters in the illustration represent friendliness and show an aura of calmness. Ball has created this in her work by drawing smiles and joyful faces on the characters whose profiles can be seen, proving that ‘expression’ is key to anthropomorphism. ‘Expression’ would have worked in the same way had the characters been angry, sad, shy etc. The general ‘thought’ that is demonstrated in the illustration appears to be that of Ball herself. The characters reflect what she would have been thinking when she created the image, wanting to display how humans should be interacting in real life through her anthropomorphic animals.
References:
(1) Fisher. J (1991) Page 49
(2) Fisher. J (1991) Page 61
(3) Pailin. D (1990) Page 34
(1) Fisher. J (1991) Page 49
(2) Fisher. J (1991) Page 61
(3) Pailin. D (1990) Page 34
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