tharn

Part 1 of the effigies series: Tharn, a word coined by Richard Adams in Watership Down, describes animals frozen in fear. It explores the dissonant reaction humans have to such creatures as spiders, insects, fungi and lichen – organisms
that are often regarded as alien and repellent, yet vital to our eco- systems with an inherent beauty of
their own. The figure’s arm merging with fungal growths and arthropod forms suggests a necessary
symbiosis and collapse of boundaries between self and nature, for the survival of both. An expression of
fear, apprehension and curiosity is visible on the figure’s face, allowing viewers to sit with their
discomfort and biases, and consider the value of the beautiful, strange and mysterious little creatures
that support our planet.