There’s Seven Animals Dead Every Year

An object for the head and/or face

Poster board, rigid wrap, fabric, plastic animal figurines, paint

Modeled after a traditional ringleader look, a la PT Barnum.

An object worn or held that you can hand to someone

Clay, plastic container, nature, paint

A staff imbued with magic that lets the bearer transport a captive animal back to its rightful and natural habitat.

A wearable garment

Cardboard, rigid wrap, clay, paint

Representation of both the problem, animals in captivity, and the solution, breaking the chain and setting them free. Also to provoke the viewer and challenge them to see themselves wearing the chains.

Spring 2022

This project is meant to develop and create socially engaged art with intent. We were challenged to create “armor” that tackles a social issue and provide a solution to the issue.

My chosen topic is animals captivity with a focus on circuses due to the unethical and horrible conditions that they are kept in. The title is a play on the phrase “There’s a sucker born every second” (which is often mistakenly attributed to PT Barnum).

In doing research, I came across an article about an ex circus employee. He recounted the gruesome details of the circus life of animals and the part he played in them. Before his wife passed away, she made him promise to “do the right thing.” He spent many years after exposing the secrets of circuses and trying to shed light on the issue.

In making this armor, I realized that it had taken on this persona, the unconventional hero who has learned the error of his ways and is fighting to right the wrongs. He wears broken chains himself, a symbolism of dissociating himself with his previous life. He carries an enchanted staff that magically appeared before him (in the bushes where I found the stick) upon this realization to aid him in correcting his mistakes.

Model: Josh Stewart