Diorama 001

This diorama is an exploration of the evolution of human consciousness. It uses different imagery and sculptural forms to reflect upon artistic avenues, evolutionary theories, natural wonders and personal nostalgia.

The figurine of the chimpanzee calls to attention the “Stoned Ape Theory,” which was proposed by Terrance McKenna. This theory states that human evolution began its track when we started consuming psilocybin, the active mind-altering substance of magic mushrooms. This may have likely been the reason we’ve developed to appreciate such things as art, community, languages and general curiosity.

The woman collaged into the background is taken from Sandrom Botticelli’s painting, “The Birth of Venus,” which spurred the title of this work. Venus is our sister planet and one of the brightest objects in the night sky. Before we knew of the planets as they are, we considered them “wandering stars.” This is because the planets travel across our sky, unlike the stars which remain in a seemingly fixed position. Venus is also the Roman goddess of love and beauty. These are two more concepts that have developed and strengthened with our evolution.

On the outside of this hexagonal piece is a toy station wagon. This particular detail resonates with me on a personal level. It reflects a period in my life when my family would pile into such a vehicle to get to and from school every day. It also represents how far we have come as humans, developing technology to ease our lives and explore more of the world.

The art piece also includes: real moss, lichens and logs; hand sculpted mushrooms; faux flowers; Egyptian hieroglyphs; cotton clouds and a lot of hot glue. It sits at 12w” x 8.5h” x 4d” and is ready to hang on a wall or sit on a shelf.