Abstract
Beddard’ Coloration Station (BCS) is a collection of artwork made in response to the scientific research of British naturalist and zoologist Frank Evers Beddard. Beddard published Animal Coloration in 1892, giving a general overview of different contributing factors of coloration as they relate to the survival of a range of animal species. He specifically addresses the effects of the environment on coloration, protective or camouflage coloration, warning and sexual coloration and mimicry.
BSC is composed of a number of parts which include a Public Art proposal commission (2021), Dudley Futures Exhibition (2022) (Part 1), Hypercoloration (2024) (Part 2) and the realisation of the proposal ‘Coloration Station’ (Part 3) (billboards and research website with input from Dudley Zoo and research archives at Edinburgh University Special Collections, as part of a new ACE application).
Hypercoloration (Part 2) focuses on Beddards chapter ‘Coloration impacted by the Environment’ which investigates the direct impact of the aesthetics of the environment on creatures, with no recourse to Darwinian natural selection. Merging Timothy Mortons concept of Hyperobjects, using polystyrene as an example, with Beddardian environmental coloration, the work considers how organic lifeforms can protect themselves in this geological era. Where habitats are increasingly encrouched upon by man-made pollutants, mining, deforestation, artificial lighting and so on, how are animal protective biologies faring in this Capitalocene?
BSC is composed of a number of parts which include a Public Art proposal commission (2021), Dudley Futures Exhibition (2022) (Part 1), Hypercoloration (2024) (Part 2) and the realisation of the proposal ‘Coloration Station’ (Part 3) (billboards and research website with input from Dudley Zoo and research archives at Edinburgh University Special Collections, as part of a new ACE application).
Hypercoloration (Part 2) focuses on Beddards chapter ‘Coloration impacted by the Environment’ which investigates the direct impact of the aesthetics of the environment on creatures, with no recourse to Darwinian natural selection. Merging Timothy Mortons concept of Hyperobjects, using polystyrene as an example, with Beddardian environmental coloration, the work considers how organic lifeforms can protect themselves in this geological era. Where habitats are increasingly encrouched upon by man-made pollutants, mining, deforestation, artificial lighting and so on, how are animal protective biologies faring in this Capitalocene?
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Type | creative practice |
| Media of output | Public Art Proposal |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Publication status | Published (VoR) - 2024 |