Elizabeth Burritt

In(ter)sect Series

The sculpture that I make investigates themes related to our relationship with nature- the ways in which we strive to understand it scientifically and the ways we aim to represent it. The pieces from the In(ter)sect series are hybrid insects composed of various parts of actual species, sourced from reality, yet composed fictitiously.

In one sense, these interventions may represent certain attitudes about ecological solutions- i.e. altering nature to accommodate humans instead of altering our own behavior.  In another, these pieces may speak about hybridity as natural phenomena that defy taxonomical systems of understanding and truth, and question our ability to comprehend and control the environment around us.

I consider these pieces hybrids between actual specimens and entomological drawings / engravings that have both been historical modes of cataloging and possessing the natural world through a scientific lens.