Evolutionary Art and its Innovative Concepts

Let's take a break from discussing about our main blog theme for a while and take a look at a new artistic approach to science that's breaking headway into the mainstream of the intellectual community. Likened to the practice of Generative art, Evolutionary art is characterized by the usage of principles based on natural evolution and selection. It is actually a branch of the latter and has also evolved to the usage of silicon based-systems (in contrast to Bio-Art or Organic Art).

The process of Evolutionary Art can be associated with the particular practice of modified evolution as well, where artificial or external factors are  introduced to several generations of reproductive species. Interactive evolution can also be observed when human beings alter the path of natural selection by choosing to breed for example, species that are more aesthetically pleasing than others. Evolutionary art is a long-spanning concept that bridges several years or time-periods of life. It is a way by which science can aesthetically describe modification and selection in their pursuit for evolutionary idealism. In truth though, it is more of an artistic way of looking at the sciences involved with the study of different species and their ancestry.

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Cleopatra's Wedge - Beverly Pepper's Scaled Creation

Of you ever take a stroll down the Burns Commons in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, you may notice the fast rising population of public art displays around the area. Some people think of these monumental creations as a form of "plop art" because of their unique contrast to the surroundings, others say that the art pieces actually accent the townscape pretty well, and make the scenery just a bit more colorful. In 1991, Beverly Pepper; a sculptor from Brooklyn, carved away at an abandoned freeway corridor and shaped it into a tool's contour. Critics say that it resembles a leftover tool of Paul Bunyon (the giant lumberjack in fables). The sculpture was entitled "Cleopatra's Wedge" and maintains a vibrant rustic tone because of its material (Cor-ten)

Sculpture by Beverly Pepper - Photography Copyright © 2005 Sulfur

Beverly Pepper's sculpture was also exhibited at the New York Battery Part and Paris, France. It was eventually purchased for over two hundred thousand American dollars by Barry Mandel to put at its current location; the Burns Commons. Mandel hoped that the artwork would act as a centerpiece for the sculpture garden, surrounded by several smaller works. The park itself was named after Robert Burns, famous poet, giving consistency to the arts theme of the area. Pepper's monumental creation currently towers over the Burns Commons and stands as a lighthearted sight for park-goers and art lovers alike.

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