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Consilience refers to the jumping together of knowledge by the linking of facts and fact-based theory across disciplines to create a groundwork of explanation. In his influential book of the same name, the renowned scientist and Pulitzer Prize winning author Edward O. Wilson, discusses the possibility of one unifying theory of existence. He forsees a future where the social sciences will be more like the physical sciences, which exhibit more frequent consilience. The controversial ideas that he puts forth are nothing short of a unity of all of the branches of knowledge. Intrigued by this idea I made these works in response. They are my fragmented and intuitive interpretation of such a unity.
In them I use a variety of media including drawing, collage, and cut paper. As in previous bodies of work all of my source material comes from my job as a librarian. By utilizing discarded or donated books, papers, and other materials I reclaim these objects and give them new life as an altered but still connected means of expression.
The final images can be read in many ways, however. They can be seen alternately as random, humorous, grave, optimistic, or moralizing. Connections are sought and made spontaneously and have meaning but ultimately are kept ambiguous in order for the viewer to make the final personal connections.
