The quote above refers to Alexis Rockman’s painting entitled The Farm. The artwork depicts animals such as cows, pigs, and roosters, some that look like those you would find in nature and some that appear to have be modified, in a field with rows of crops. Here, Polyxeni Potter (Potter) describes the progression in the painting from left to right of the older version of the species of “the chicken, the pig, the cow, and the mouse” (Potter, p.856) to the newer, more modern version that humans will develop. I find Potter’s statement to be accurate, though a little too gentle. I believe that on the left lie the ancestors of the species we easily recognize, and on the right lie the animals we are in the midst of creating. Potter’s interpretation
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Human manipulation of the animals’ genes with the intentions of benefiting from more meat out of one organism can backfire in that the fecal matter of said animals, disposed of in the soil, can seep into the water supply used to irrigate the plants (Potter, p.856). Thus, the animals’ DNA and any microbes they may have had have now contaminated our plants, aiding in the spread of diseases. One example given is that of mad cow disease (Potter, p.856). Mad cow disease spread across the globe as a result of trade and was passed from human to human due to “contaminated hospital equipment and blood transfusions” (Potter, p.856). This supports the connection to disease that The Farm has, as the cow is clearly a significant part of the artwork (being in the center) and is located near the fruit fly, which, as an insect, is notorious for carrying and spreading diseases. In itself, the fruit fly indicates the painting’s connection to diseases for that very reason. Bugs are frequently associated with the spread of diseases, and thus it can be presumed that the fruit fly, due to its relation with fruit that humans eat, represents human infection via crops. The various elements of The Farm support Potter’s notion of disease being a relevant …show more content…
Robbins explains how animals have always carried diseases and some, like mosquitoes, even spread the disease very rapidly by mixing the blood of one of its prey with the blood of its next prey (Robbins). This occurs when female mosquitoes must collect blood to bring back to their younglings. Robbins and Potter agree that animals are dangerous due to their disease-ridden state. They divert paths from one another, however, when it comes to flora. Potter focuses on the plants that humans grow themselves and how they are indirectly infected by animals because the fauna contaminate their water source (Potter, p.856). Robbins, on the other hand, goes on to explain how various diseases can be particular to certain regions, such as those with warmer climates (Robbins). On this larger scale, humans are opening themselves up to a greater possibility of infect and a wider pool of diseases by establishing ourselves in warm places. Additionally, our contact with wildlife puts us at risks, as “sixty percent of emerging infectious diseases that affect humans… originate in animals” (Robbins). Thus, though Potter and Robbins differ in their areas of concern regarding diseases via plants, they both agree that animals put us at serious risk of becoming infected with a myriad of
Human manipulation of the animals’ genes with the intentions of benefiting from more meat out of one organism can backfire in that the fecal matter of said animals, disposed of in the soil, can seep into the water supply used to irrigate the plants (Potter, p.856). Thus, the animals’ DNA and any microbes they may have had have now contaminated our plants, aiding in the spread of diseases. One example given is that of mad cow disease (Potter, p.856). Mad cow disease spread across the globe as a result of trade and was passed from human to human due to “contaminated hospital equipment and blood transfusions” (Potter, p.856). This supports the connection to disease that The Farm has, as the cow is clearly a significant part of the artwork (being in the center) and is located near the fruit fly, which, as an insect, is notorious for carrying and spreading diseases. In itself, the fruit fly indicates the painting’s connection to diseases for that very reason. Bugs are frequently associated with the spread of diseases, and thus it can be presumed that the fruit fly, due to its relation with fruit that humans eat, represents human infection via crops. The various elements of The Farm support Potter’s notion of disease being a relevant …show more content…
Robbins explains how animals have always carried diseases and some, like mosquitoes, even spread the disease very rapidly by mixing the blood of one of its prey with the blood of its next prey (Robbins). This occurs when female mosquitoes must collect blood to bring back to their younglings. Robbins and Potter agree that animals are dangerous due to their disease-ridden state. They divert paths from one another, however, when it comes to flora. Potter focuses on the plants that humans grow themselves and how they are indirectly infected by animals because the fauna contaminate their water source (Potter, p.856). Robbins, on the other hand, goes on to explain how various diseases can be particular to certain regions, such as those with warmer climates (Robbins). On this larger scale, humans are opening themselves up to a greater possibility of infect and a wider pool of diseases by establishing ourselves in warm places. Additionally, our contact with wildlife puts us at risks, as “sixty percent of emerging infectious diseases that affect humans… originate in animals” (Robbins). Thus, though Potter and Robbins differ in their areas of concern regarding diseases via plants, they both agree that animals put us at serious risk of becoming infected with a myriad of