Animals are a part of our life, they make our life better, uplift our moods, protect us, company us, and give us the love we need. Seeing them in their own habitat it’s so fulfilling. Not because it’s always a pretty sight, but there is more to it if you stop and think a little bit about their life in a more psychological way. They fight for survival, protection, territory, partners, food and so much more, it just makes you feel how sometimes humans are not any different.
As much as we like to preserve that, we oftentimes end up disturbing that sublime peace of theirs, and we never really know the damage we are doing unless we see it happening to ourselves. It is horrible that have normalized so much the fact that there are animals to be clinically tested on, experimented in all kind of bizarre way, and entertain us without even knowing the cost of it. To illustrate this very fact, artist Barbara Daniels did some illustrations that show animals and humans changing their roles in life to raise awareness over this matter.
” The idea first came to me while I was eating chicken wings on holidays in Strasbourg, France in 2012. I made a quick sketch on a napkin, imagining what the situation might look like if the roles were reversed. The idea resonated with me from that moment on and changed my perception of the world around me. I shifted my focus completely to
the role reversal concept after moving to Berlin in 2013,” shared Barbara when reached out by Earthwonders.
Her illustrations are quite disturbing, yet a sobering reflection of our society. It might be hard to imagine yourself in the place of an animal, but the artist brings some illustrations that visualize this at its best, and she gets a lot of reaction from people over her work.
“The feedback I receive is overwhelmingly positive. Many people thank me for spreading awareness about animal welfare issues, and they often tell me that my art makes them see these issues from a new perspective.
But there are also negative reactions to my art. I receive a lot of criticism on social media, and some people have told me I have a sick mind. Many people wrongly assume that my art was created with a political agenda. This isn’t true. 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,” shared the artist.
Moreover, the artist shared what happens behind the scenes of these illustrations. “I usually spend about a week researching the situation I want to portray and sketching the important elements I want to show. When I’m finished with the planning, I mix different shades of grey by watering down India ink and use them to paint the background on watercolor paper. After the painting is done, I draw the linework on top with a pen. The whole process takes about a month for each piece. I love working with pen and ink, but it can be pretty unforgiving. Mistakes can’t be erased or covered up.
I’ve never had a problem coming up with ideas for my work. Once I came up with the concept, I began to see the world in a whole new light and started to find inspiration all around me in everyday life. I’ve always had a long list of ideas, and because each piece takes so long to create, I don’t get through it very quickly.”
The artist’s goal of her art is not to preach about what’s right or wrong, but simply to hold a mirror up to humanity and imagine life from the perspective of the many species dominated by the human race.
Scroll down below to see this collection of illustrations that shows a dark side of humans that’s often unnoticed.
More info: Instagram | barbaradanielsart.com | Facebook | twitter.com
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