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Artist Creates Illustrations Where The Roles Of Humans And Animals Are Reversed, And The Reality Is Thought-Provoking (50 Pics)
Interview With Artist
Humans tend to take their habits for granted. Everything seems self-evident until the perspective shifts. It forces us to reflect on the way we are: humans are not all sunshine and rainbows, as the saying goes. We also have a darker side that we prefer to be swept under the rug.
Barbara Daniels has a calling to reveal these dark things that people do. She shifts the perspective by swapping roles of humans and animals, which in turn raises our awareness of how we behave with other animals, which is brutal and unethical most of the time. There's much room to grow for our species. Her illustrations are a sobering reminder that our society is far from perfect. Though we tend to admire the progress of our own species, we tend to forget that we did it at the price of others.
More info: Instagram | barbaradanielsart.com | Facebook | twitter.com
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#1
Bernardita Valdés 3 years ago (edited)
Just like psycopaths, child abusers and pedophiles, hunters are the worst kind of human beings in existance. How can u take a pic of urself smiling proundly with the corpse u just killed? Not forgeting to mentioning that a lion, a tiger, an elephant, an eagle, any animal, worths countless times more than a single hunter that couldnt even be used as food for animals cause of its toxicity. F**k i hate hunters.
Barbara shared about her "Dominion over Man" with Bored Panda: "It was an unexpected surprise when this art came into my life. The idea of exploring the relationships between humans and animals first came to me while I was eating chicken wings on holiday in Strasbourg, France. I sketched what the situation might look like if the roles were reversed. The idea resonated with me from that moment on and I began to see the world in a new light. I started to focus on the role reversal concept after moving to Berlin in 2013."
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#2
Magdalena Zając 3 years ago
I think it's declawing shown here. Cat claws grow directly from the bone so removing one is pretty much like snipping the end of the finger.
"I learned so much from all the research I did for the artwork that I began to question my own lifestyle, and this led to my decision to become vegetarian. I still learn a lot about the world from each picture I create, and I've received a lot of positive feedback from many people inspired by my work. That really motivates me to continue with the 'Dominion over Man' series."
Barbara tells us what inspired her to create the comics: "The idea of exploring the relationships between humans and animals first came to me while I was eating chicken wings on holidays in Strasbourg, France. I sketched what the situation might look like if the roles were reversed. The idea resonated with me from that moment on and I began to see the world in a new light. I found endless sources of inspiration all around me in everyday life.
The artist also told us what the main goal of the illustrations is: "The goal of my art is to learn about our world by holding a mirror up to humanity and imagining life from the perspective of the many species dominated by the human race. It’s important to me to reverse each situation as accurately as possible, so I need to do a lot of research before beginning each piece. I learn so much from my research, and I receive a lot of feedback from people who believe that my work is spreading awareness."
#8
Barbara tells us more about how she got into art: "I have been creating art for as long as I can remember. Growing up in a small village, art was a much-needed escape from everyday life with six brothers. Following my passion, I studied fine art at GMIT Ireland."
#10
#11
The artist mentioned what the most difficult part of these illustrations is: "The research I do for my work can be difficult, because it’s often very depressing. I tackle some pretty dark topics, and sometimes it affects my mood. Another difficult part of my work is the process itself. It takes about a month to complete each piece, and my chosen medium of pen and ink can be pretty unforgiving. Once that ink hits the watercolour paper, there’s no going back! Mistakes can’t be erased or covered up."
#12
Kennedy Johnson 3 years ago
Eww what’s that in his mouth. Watching dogs fight is it fun at all. I don’t know how people watch this.
#13
Kennedy Johnson 3 years ago
I never got taxidermy. It’s just disqusting both ways. Why would you cut off something head and hang it.
Barbara tells us more about what topics she covers and tells us more about her style: "I cover all topics relating to animals in all aspects of modern life. Some of the topics are gruesome, while others are a bit more lighthearted. My style is a mix between realism and caricature, and I like to focus on details. I started to focus on the role reversal concept after moving to Berlin in 2013. I still have a long list of ideas for new pictures, so I will keep going with my 'Dominion over Man' series for some time to come."
#14
Bernardita Valdés 3 years ago
That french video of the fur industry... thats the cherry on top. Thats when u realize how not only ridiculous, but mostly stupid, cruel and ignorant ppl are when they wear fur coats and bags and scarfs... u dont look glamourous, u look like a selfish ignorant psychopath carrying a corpse while believing it makes u look beautifull.
The artist shares what inspired her to keep creating: "I really enjoy creating my own parallel universe with this art, and I still learn so much about our world from each picture I create. That alone would be enough to keep me going, but I also get motivation from the positive feedback I receive from people who are inspired by my work."
Barbara gives some advice for artists or people who want to pursue art: "Don’t be afraid to tackle difficult and uncomfortable topics in your art. When I began working on this series in 2013, I received a lot of negative feedback from friends and family who couldn’t understand why I was painting such weird pictures. Although I sometimes had my own doubts, I stayed true to my vision for four years before I started getting positive feedback. Looking back, I’m happy that I didn’t give up on this idea just to please others."
#18
Bernardita Valdés 3 years ago
Some ppl find this ridiculous and laugh about the pro animal activists. Just put ursefl in the place of the one whos being abused or tortured. Thats empathy.
#19
TimesNewLogan 3 years ago
Fun fact: alligators were an endangered species in the late 1800s and early 1900s, to the point where there were often more hunters than gators in the swamps and bayous during hunting season. Thankfully, they were saved through conservation efforts. This is referenced in Red Dead Redemption 2.
The artist tells us more about herself, her life, and her journey: "I grew up in a small village in County Galway, Ireland. After graduating with a fine art degree from GMIT Ireland in 2005, I lived in Southern California for almost eight years before spontaneously moving to Berlin, Germany in 2013."
#21
Kennedy Johnson 3 years ago (edited)
Terrible. If you show people who do this stuff these pictures. They make me feel bad. Think about how you’d feel.
"The goal of my art is not to preach about what’s right or wrong. Because of the topics in my work, some people assume that I’m trying to shove a political agenda down their throats, but really I’m just an artist exploring an idea and learning more about the world every day. I actually ate meat for most of my life, but as a result of my research for this art series, I began to question my own lifestyle and became vegetarian."
#22
Kennedy Johnson 3 years ago (edited)
That’s terrible ,lobsters getting boiled to death by hot water!
#25
Bernardita Valdés 3 years ago
Btw this is in hydra, greece. Nice place, but the donkeys... man its so sad 😢, all under a roof, waiting to be used to carry a person in an upway hill... its too cruel.
#27
#28
Kyra Drachenlady 3 years ago
not to forget the forced breeding like with prized horses or dogs
#29
Jayne Kyra 3 years ago
On another note: F P.E.T.A.. They steal pets, euthanize 90% of animals they "save" and are a deplorable organization.
#30
Bernardita Valdés 3 years ago
Oh no... one of the worst... just wanna crush their f****n skulls when i see those psychos slamming baby seals
#34
Emilycookie 3 years ago
i hate shelters like this. there is a cat shelter near me that i foster from, it has cages but they are big with plenty of room for the cats to roam, and they rotate cats being in the big rooms with a bunch of cat toys and other cats.
#35
#36
NinjaWolfy94 3 years ago
This one just reminds me of my dog Tara (a malamute). She LOVES little dogs, but, understandably, until the owner knows she's friendly and won't eat their chihuahua, they don't let their dog say hi. That's why dog parks are awesome.
#39
Bernardita Valdés 3 years ago
Once my family discovered a little mom mouse with all her little baby mice in our house. So cute, so precious. Little mouse mom rushed out the place when her nest was discovered. Everyone in my family was like “ dont touch it! Ull get infected!” Yeah they would have been right. They wanted to kill them, to just get rid of them like if they were toxic garbage. NO FCKIN WAY! WHY THE FCK? I took the babies away n put them in place where they would be safe. I thought that's the best i could do under the conditions in that moment. After a moment, the little babies where gone. I really hope her mom found her and took them to a better place and didnt eat then or something like that... the worst case scenario was a death/death fate for the mice family.
#40
Phica Afton 3 years ago
This is why whenever there is an insect inside I pick it up and put it outsode
#41
Freya the Wanderer 3 years ago
Far too often we treat animals as objects, as though they have no feelings. Sometimes we do the same to members of our own species.
#42
#46
Terilee Bruyere 3 years ago
While I imagine it's confusing for bees to be smoked and have a portion of their honey harvested, bee keepers care for their bees and with the steep decline in wild populations many crops would also be in trouble.
#48
Ксения Петровская 3 years ago
Wait, goats don't eat meat. This healthy eating pyramid is a lie!
#49
Bernardita Valdés 3 years ago
Didnt this happened with cows and pigs but they were burried alive?
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What do you think ?
Sue Bradley 3 years ago
These are not wild extremes of animal treatment - they are quite mild if anything. Look up the facts if you can face it. I am vegan because of these facts . Xxx
DC 3 years ago
Same! These are actually the mild side of information appropriate for children. The reality of animal abuse in industrial scale is a lot worse than depicted here ... this is a starting point. And a good one - but it isn't a complete set of information. Most people would be overwhelmed by the sheer scale of all those uncivilized treatments of sentient beings to pamper greed and cheapassery, but still have no problem in buying that stuff, thereby supporting cruelty they themselves can't bear watching, let alone execute themselves.
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AlmightyOne 3 years ago
Some of these I agreed with. Dogfights, beating baby seals to death, animal testing, and hunting for sport are all bad, but I'm still going to eat meat.
littlesaresare 3 years ago
Consider eating meat from a source that isn't a factory farm?
Load More Replies...
Sue Bradley 3 years ago
These are not wild extremes of animal treatment - they are quite mild if anything. Look up the facts if you can face it. I am vegan because of these facts . Xxx
DC 3 years ago
Same! These are actually the mild side of information appropriate for children. The reality of animal abuse in industrial scale is a lot worse than depicted here ... this is a starting point. And a good one - but it isn't a complete set of information. Most people would be overwhelmed by the sheer scale of all those uncivilized treatments of sentient beings to pamper greed and cheapassery, but still have no problem in buying that stuff, thereby supporting cruelty they themselves can't bear watching, let alone execute themselves.
Load More Replies... AlmightyOne 3 years ago
Some of these I agreed with. Dogfights, beating baby seals to death, animal testing, and hunting for sport are all bad, but I'm still going to eat meat.
littlesaresare 3 years ago
Consider eating meat from a source that isn't a factory farm?
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