ear positioners

This weeks’ piece is a jewel made for rabbits and not humans. These Ear Positioners are part of a series of 'animal accessories' and show a human’s interpretation of what an animal might need or want.

At first, I was attracted by the way this work looks, it is incredibly well-made. Then I was repelled by its function, why would you force a bunny's ear into a certain position? They made me wonder in which situation a rabbit could possibly need or want to wear them. It might be fashionable for rabbits to keep their ears stuck in that position at all times, or it can be used as a helmet that goes with a suit of armor. So a way a bunny could benefit from wearing the “Ear Positioners” is, when people(!) made it go to war, and it had to fight opponents armed with swords (yes, having two boys really influences my thoughts!). In both ways, humans take control of a fictional rabbits’ life!

This interpretation of the way humans manipulate the world around us to suit our needs, is the work of Miel-Margarita Paredes, from Portland OR, USA. She uses the animal form in a humoristic way to engage the viewer and point out the sheer absurdity of our interactions with the world around us. Whether these serve the greater good of humanity or are done out of mere entertainment.