Touchstones, Totems, Talismans: Animals in Contemporary Art

Depicting animals — as symbols, teachers, muses, companions — connects human cultures across time and space. Animal images serve as proxies for happiness, distress, fear, the environment, gender roles, and more. Whether literal or figurative, representations of animals call into play our experiences with the creatures themselves and the often deep-seated characteristics, traits, and qualities we assign to them.

This group show (artists to be announced shortly) offers a glimpse into the rich and varied ways in which contemporary artists are incorporating animal images into their work.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.