The Animals Went in Two by Two

An installation by Helen Snell

Helen Snell combines the mass produced and the unique to humorous and ironical effect, full of suggestion and contradiction.  She is interested in both the process of reproduction (printmaking, digital media, collage, photocopies) and by the theme of reproduction (with reference to biotechnology, genetics, sex and consumerism).

“Printed images and multiples enable a process of vulgarisation, undermining the obsession with originality, so that content becomes the primary concern. Repetition of imagery echoes our obsession with labels and brands as assurances of quality and also, paradoxically, echoes our fears provoked by images of cloning and other genetic interventions.

“I am especially interested in the idea of the imperfect edition.  To subvert the idea of an edition is exciting and a good metaphor for the paradoxical relationship between group identity and individuality.”

The Animals Went in Two by Two, originally conceived for the Art Farm Project in Devon, draws on her ongoing interest in the ethical debate concerning biotechnology: 

“In the increasingly secular West, the human body tends to be viewed as a rather poor piece of kit in need of constant upgrading. Animals and plants are seen as industrial material, useful for us to practice on. In this climate we are filled with feelings of fear, curiosity, and desire. The very nature of classification and identity is brought into question as a result of the creation of transgenic and hybridised animals and plants.”

Helen Snell lives and works in rural Devon