Mary C. Wilhelm

 

My research delves into the absurdity of human behavior and the tension between myth and reality, using various animals as metaphors and symbols to illustrate this concept. I am fascinated by the often-inaccurate understanding of animals and their true nature, and how these misconceptions reflect the cultural context from which they evolved. Through my work, I critique cultural perceptions of animals and aim to challenge the observer's preconceived notions of relationships between species, as well as the relationship between humans and nature itself. 

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The animals in my work do not exist in vacuums; their meanings change and shift depending on the visual framework I place them in. I often play with interactions between species, exploring relationships ranging from indigenous and invasive species to predator and prey, and even how the perceived value of certain species changes over time. The core of my work is about these relationships and the ethical complexity and flexibility they create. In an increasingly polarized world, I aim to challenge cultural narratives that reduce animals to black-and-white frameworks. Through the various relationships and situations depicted in my paintings, I seek nuance, and through nuance, understanding—both of the natural world with its complex ecological systems and of human nature itself 

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Though my work depicts animals, I use these interactions to explore the moral ambiguity of human nature. Often the fauna I work with are chosen because I am playing with a particular concept reflected in human nature that has been observed - or thought to be observed- in the natural world.  These perceived behavioral and/or environmental interactions serve as the conceptual and visual foundation around which the piece is constructed. My subject matter spans from mainstream spiritual culture to the impact of colonization and western expansion, and even includes a critique of the subpar mac and cheese I had last Monday night if I am feeling particularly snarky.

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A society's treatment and perception of its environment directly mirrors what the cultural values are. My work aims to challenge the valuation of certain fauna, questioning what merits value and exploring the very definition of 'value' in our cultural context.