"Part of a pioneering movement."
TODAY SHOW
THE BIG PICTURE
THE EVOLUTION OF HUMAN PERSPECTIVE
TIFFANY SHLAIN | HUMAN NATURE EXHIBITION | 2022
Reclaimed Redwood Sculpture
60" x 63" x 2.25" | E.V. 1-4 +2AP
THE BIG PICTURE
The evolution of human perspective tree ring sculpture
THE BIG PICTURE debuted as part of Tiffany Shlain's Human Nature exhibition in The San Francisco Ferry Building's Shack15 in November 2022 and was also a part of the solo exhibition at Nancy Hoffman Gallery in New York City this past fall.
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“In Human Nature, I look at what happens when we step back to view ourselves within the expansiveness of nature and time. Through the lens of feminism, technology, ecology, neuroscience, and philosophy, I consider how this scale realignment can change our perspective, offer context, reveal absurdities, and evoke humility, insights, and awe.”
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Text from center outward:​
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315,000 years ago: We Are Here Homo sapiens evolve into existence
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147 (ish): We Are the Center of Everything! Ptolemy proposes that the sun revolves around the Earth
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800s: We Can See Better Invention of a magnifying “reading stone,” the first lens
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1543: We See That Earth Is Not the Center of the Solar System Copernican Revolution: Earth no longer viewed as center of the galaxy
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1600: We Can See Closer Microscope invented
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1608: We Can See Farther Telescope invented
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1876: We Can Connect With People We Cannot See Telephone invented
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1887: We Can Reach Mass Audiences Discovery of electromagnetic waves paves the way for radio and television
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1893: We Can See Inside Our Heads Subconscious conceived
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1895: We Can See Inside Our Bodies X-ray invented
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1903: We Can See from Above Airplane invented
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1924: We Realize We’re Not the Center of the Universe Either Edward Hubble’s findings prefigure the Big Bang Theory and show existence of other galaxies
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1938: We Can Destroy Ourselves Discovery of nuclear fission leads to development of atomic weapons.
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1943: We Can See the Big Picture Accidental discovery of LSD provides the mind-altering experiences humans have found in other psychedelics for millennia
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1957: We Can See the Bigger Picture Quantum mechanics suggests the possibility of parallel universes
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1967: We Can See Our Planet “Earthrise” photograph taken from space, and environmental movement begins
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1989: We Can All Be Connected World Wide Web invented
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2007: We Can Connect Anywhere/Anytime iPhone debuts
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2009-ongoing: We Can’t Stop Connecting Anywhere/Anytime Screen addiction becomes a problem
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2011: We See There Is No Center of the Universe and it’s rapidly expanding
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2022- We can 2022 We Question Our Relationship with Intelligence Generative AI is released
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Today… Where Are We?
Intersect Aspen Art Fair Interview about
The Big Picture
ABOUT THE ARTIST
TIFFANY SHLAIN
Honored by Newsweek as one of the "Women Shaping the 21st Century," Tiffany Shlain is an artist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, national bestselling author, and the founder of the Webby Awards. Shlain's work explores the intersection of feminism, philosophy, technology, neuroscience, and nature. Her work has shown at the Museum of Modern Art, the Sundance Film Festival and US Embassies globally. Her sculpture DENDROFEMONOLOGY, a feminist history tree ring, was installed on the National Mall in DC and in Madison Square Park in NYC to kick off Climate Week. A Her awards and distinctions include selection by the Albert Einstein Foundation for their Genius100 list, the Neil Postman Award for Career Achievement in Intellectual Activity, and inclusion in NPR’s list of best commencement speeches. Shlain is known for her dynamic cinematic talk experiences and speaks internationally. Her book, 24/6: Giving up Screens One Day a Week to Get More Time, Creativity, and Connection, received the Marshall McLuhan Outstanding Book Award. Shlain's current exhibition is part of the Getty's PST ART: Art & Science Collide art initiative with Ken Goldberg at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles-on view until March 2nd, 2025. @tiffanyshlain
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