2019 Year 12 IB Extended Essays

To what extent does Patricia Piccinini challenge our perspective on the ethics of bioengineering?

Analysis of Embryo (2016)

Fig. 4 Embryo Sculpture 2016 Fibreglass, polyurethane, auto paint 74 x 114 x 124 cm

In Piccinini’s vast portfolio of works, one of the fundamental phenomena that intrigue Piccinini the most, and impacts her artistic concepts is how technology will exponentially embed itself into the natural world. In doing so, not only does she explore the benefits of this relationship but also the alternate perspective of how it may become detrimental to the world’s growth. Dissimilar from the previous pieces analysed, this piece does not concern itself with human-like anatomy, instead utilises more automotive/vehicular materials and features. Embryo (2016) works with Fibreglass, polyurethane and auto paint to illustrate an entirely technological and mechanical human embryo (Piccinini, 2016). Within this piece, Piccinini juxtaposes the colours red, black and white, as well as wheels, (evoking imagery of a car, or a form of machinery) with a light flesh-like colour. In doing so, this subliminally infers a relationship between the man-made and natural world. Furthermore, this sculpture seems to have an organ- like shape and anatomy, which when alluded back to the title of the piece it becomes clear to the audience that Piccinini is displaying an embryo. On her website, she projects that she is “interested in growth because it expresses diversity within the context of a single being” (Piccinini, 2016). Parallel this information, Piccinini’s

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