“Darwin’s Finches,” digital (ink on bristol), 12 1/2” x 12 1/2,” 2012.
An assignment for a science illustration class. We were supposed to come up with a way to portray the process of evolution in a new and more effective way than the common image of man “ascending” from ape. I decided to build on this sequential element rather than completely abandon it - creating a series of linear progressions that branch off in many directions from one common ancestor.
I also thought it would be helpful to move away from the loaded (and frankly tired) imagery of Man’s evolution, and instead focus on a smaller time frame and a humbler place in the animal kingdom… Taking Darwin’s own drawings of Galapagos Island “finches” as direct inspiration. My drawings are not entirely accurate to actual species, but my hope is that the ideas behind the images more eloquently express some of the misunderstood aspects of evolutionary theory.
-CR
