This is a piece that I created as a depiction of the right to life. Originally, my thought was to show the destruction of life, life stripped of its naturalness. I was thinking of the way that we abuse nature and how our earth has no way of defending itself from human acts. What started as a started as a petition for nature, transformed into a prolife, anti-abortion petition too.

This work is a collage piece using entirely photography and text. I compiled mostly images that I took myself and one appropriated image of the fetus shown in my work. I constructed the tree in this piece purely of wire hangers and used a photograph of it. My intention was to create a realistic looking tree with completely man-made materials, adding to the meaning of the work. The leaves of the tree are opaque and unnatural.

The trees roots in this image appear to be embedded into the dry nutrient depleted earth, supplying the fetus below it with life. The roots of the tree reminded me of the blood vessels of the placenta that nurture an unborn baby. The roots are symbolic of life and growth. Across the dry earth are tire tracks that represent man’s further destruction and intrusion on life.

The message of this piece is to respect life. The text in this image says “How will we he their cries? They have no voice.” I created this saying to convey the helplessness of those that cannot speak out to protect themselves. Whether it be nature, animals, or humans, it is our duty to protect the things that are important and to treat life with reverent respect. All living things have a right to live.