UNWANTED

Mixed Media

My sculpture Unwanted is a representation of the mass production of poultry within the food industry. More specifically, the extermination of freshly hatched male chicks. The process of execution is called chick culling. It is a method that is used within the United States food industry and other major corporations around the world. This involves several unethical methods to termination including - suffocation, cervical dislocation, gassing, electrocution, and maceration through a grinder. Obviously these procedures are cruel and inhumane, but it is also quick and cost effective, which is more beneficial to America’s needs. Meanwhile, the female chicks are kept and grown to produce eggs and provide meat. Through scientific engineering, the chickens mature faster and grow plumper, damaging the chicken’s health and limiting their mobility. 

One of the reasons why we eat animals such as cows, pigs, and poultry, is because we consider them unintelligent creatures. However, I believe it is completely possible that these animals have a capacity to learn. Similar to an infant child, seeing and discovering the world for the first time. I chose to transform the baby chick into a hybrid of my own design. Since baby’s face is incredibly expressive when portraying an emotion, this provokes the viewer to feel sympathy for the chick and possibly even want to embrace it. The cast iron skillet adds a level of fear and intimidation for both the viewer, who feels the need to save the chicks, and the chicks that sit within the pan. The eggshells surrounding the skillet resemble the millions of chicks that have fallen victim to the torture and cruelty within our twisted food industry.