Terraforms I

LIFE FORMS 201 Irrawaddy Dolphin Giant Panda Bigeye Tuna Amur Leopard Humphead Wrasse

202 TERRAFORMS I

LIFE FORMS 203 Continent: Africa The World Wildlife Organization's official website was the source of the following information and images, which show animals that are at risk of extinction in various locations, including Coastal East Africa, Congo Basin, Madagascar, Namibia.

204 TERRAFORMS I Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable Black Rhinos Wild Dog Hawksbills Humphead Wrasse Mountain Gorilla African Savanna Elephants

LIFE FORMS 205 Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) Sei Whale Green Turtles Cross River Gorilla African forest elephants Bonobos Chimpanzees

206 TERRAFORMS I

LIFE FORMS 207 Continent: South America The World Wildlife Organization's official website was the source of the following information and images, which show animals that are at risk of extinction in various locations, including the Amazon, Atlantic Forest, Pantanal, Southern Chile, The Galápagos.

208 TERRAFORMS I Great White Shark Sea Lions Green Turtles Black Spider Monkey Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable

LIFE FORMS 209 Marine Iguana Leatherback Turtle Giant Tortoise Sei Whale Galápagos Penguin Bigeye Tuna

210 TERRAFORMS I

LIFE FORMS 211 Continent: North America The World Wildlife Organization's official website was the source of the following information and images, which show animals that are at risk of extinction in various locations, including Arctic, Chihuahuan Desert, Gulf of California, Mesoamerican Reef, Northern Great Plains.

212 TERRAFORMS I Vaquita Black-footed Ferret Sei Whale Fin Whale Loggerhead Turtles Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable

LIFE FORMS 213 Olive Ridley Turtle Polar Bear Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) Leatherback Turtle Great White Shark

214 TERRAFORMS I

LIFE FORMS 215 Article According to a study published in the journal ‘Human Reproduction Update’, humans may face a reproductive crisis if action is not taken to address a drop in sperm count. According to the study, which was based on 153 estimates from men who were likely unaware of their fertility, the average sperm concentration fell from an estimated 101.2m per ml to 49.0m per ml between 1973 and 2018, a 51.6 % drop. During the same time, total sperm counts fell by 62.3 %. Sperm concentrations have decreased in Europe, North America, Australia, Central and South America, Africa, and Asia, according to researchers. The rate of decline appears to be increasing, with annual declines of 1.16 % since 1972 and 2.64 % since 2000. It is unclear what is causing the trend, but environmental factors like endocrine disrupting chemicals may play a role. Overview: Humans could face reproductive crisis as sperm count declines, study finds. Global figures suggest sperm concentration has halved in 40 years – and the rate of decline is accelerating The Guardian, Nicola Davis 15 November 2022

216 TERRAFORMS I

LIFE FORMS 217 Original Article Humans could face a reproductive crisis if action is not taken to tackle a drop in sperm count, researchers have warned after finding the rate of decline is accelerating. A study published in the journal Human Reproduction Update, based on 153 estimates from men who were probably unaware of their fertility, suggests that the average sperm concentration fell from an estimated 101.2m per ml to 49.0m per ml between 1973 and 2018 – a drop of 51.6%. Total sperm counts fell by 62.3% during the same period. Research by the same team, reported in 2017, found that sperm concentration had more than halved in the last 40 years. However, at the time a lack of data for other parts of the world meant the findings were focused on a region encompassing Europe, North America and Australia. The latest study includes more recent data from 53 countries. Declines in sperm concentration were seen not only in the region previously studied, but in Central and South America, Africa and Asia. Moreover, the rate of decline appears to be increasing: looking at data collected in all continents since 1972, the researchers found sperm concentrations declined by 1.16% per year. However, when they looked only at data collected since the year 2000, the decline was 2.64% per year. “I think this is another signal that something is wrong with the globe and that we need to do something about it. So yes, I

218 TERRAFORMS I

LIFE FORMS 219 think it’s a crisis, that we [had] better tackle now, before it may reach a tipping point which may not be reversible,” said Prof Hagai Levine, first author of the research from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Previous studies have suggested that fertility is compromised if sperm concentration falls below about 40m per ml. While the latest estimate is above this threshold, Levine noted that this is a mean figure, suggesting the percentage of men below this threshold will have increased. “Such a decline clearly represents a decline in the capacity of the population to reproduce,” he said. While the study accounted for factors including age and how long men had gone without ejaculation, and excluded men known to suffer from infertility, it has limitations, including that it did not look at other markers of sperm quality. Allan Pacey, professor of andrology at the University of Sheffield, who was not involved in the work, praised the analysis, but said he remained on the fence over whether there is a decline. “Counting sperm, even with the gold standard technique of [the laboratory process] haemocytometry, is really difficult,” he said. “I believe that over time we have simply got better at it because of the development of training and quality control programmes around the world. I still think this is much of what we are seeing in the data.” However, Levine dismissed such concerns, adding that, in any case, the decline has been more pronounced in more recent years. While it is unclear what might be behind the apparent trend, one hypothesis is that endocrinedisrupting chemicals or other environmental factors may play a role, acting on the foetus in the womb. Experts say factors such as smoking, drinking, obesity and poor diet might also play a role, and that a healthy lifestyle may help to boost sperm counts. Tina Kold Jensen of the University of Southern Denmark said the new study recapitulated a concerning trend. “You keep on finding the same trend, no matter how many studies you include – that is a bit scary to me,” she said. Prof Richard Sharpe, an expert in male reproductive health at the University of Edinburgh, said the new data showed that the trend appeared to be a worldwide phenomenon. Sharpe said the decline could mean it takes longer for couples to conceive and, for many, time is not on their side as they are delaying trying to conceive until the woman is in her 30s or 40s, when her fertility is already reduced. “The key point that needs to be made is that this is desperately bad news for couple fertility,” he said. But, said Sharpe, “These issues are not just a problem for couples

220 TERRAFORMS I

LIFE FORMS 221 trying to have kids. They are also a huge problem for society in the next 50-odd years as less and less young people will be around to work and support the increasing bulge of elderly folk.”

222 TERRAFORMS I

LIFE FORMS 223 Is it possible for us to avoid extinction? If so, what steps can we take? While it is natural for species to go extinct, the current rate and pace at which it is occurring is alarming. In terms of the future, should we consider altering and adapting as a means of survival in the face of rapid change? The potential solutions and outcomes of this topic are vast and intriguing, and I am eager to learn more and explore the potential need for species to evolve in order to survive these changes. Thoughts

Precedent Research

226 TERRAFORMS I

PRECEDENT RESEARCH 227 Introduction During the course of this semester, I have looked at a number of artworks and projects that explore the intersection of reality and fantasy. These works have captured my interest and have inspired me to consider incorporating similar themes in my own work. In the upcoming pages, I will present a selection of artists and projects that demonstrate the integration of reality and fantasy and reflect on how I might approach my own designs for this course.

228 TERRAFORMS I Zongbo Jiang: Shared Planet (Copyright ©Zongbo Jiang, 2022)

PRECEDENT RESEARCH 229 Artist: Zongbo Jiang

230 TERRAFORMS I Jiang is a visual artist based in London with a background in graphic and digital fashion design. His artistic thought process entails sculpting narratives through the examination of the intersections of various aspects of daily life, while mainly focusing on social and environmental issues. He creates various digital characters with extraordinary appearances and places them in virtual environments to reinforce narratives. (Copyright © Zongbo Jiang, 2022) Zongbo Jiang: Noise

PRECEDENT RESEARCH 231 “I consider myself an earthling and my practice to be visual activism” - Zongbo Jiang Zongbo Jiang: Air

232 TERRAFORMS I The Garden Of Earthly Delights Triptych Bosch, Hieronymus Copyright ©Museo Nacional Del Prado

PRECEDENT RESEARCH 233 Artist: Hieronymus Bosch

234 TERRAFORMS I Hieronymus Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights is a beautifully complex work of art, that is visually distinctive. To fully comprehend the work's meaning, it is necessary to examine the content of each panel. The triptych's outer faces depict the third day of creation, when the waters were separated from the earth and an earthly paradise was formed. The triptych's inner face, painted in vibrant colors, depicts three scenes with the common theme of sin. The left panel depicts Eden or Paradise, with Adam and Eve, and the right panel depicts Hell. The central panel, which gives the triptych its name, depicts a fictitious paradise dominated by the sin of lust. During a class meeting, I introduced Lewis to the work of Zongbo Jiang. Lewis suggested that I explore the work of Hieronymus Bosch, an artist whose work could potentially serve as a reference or source of inspiration for my research process and the type of work I am planning to create. I had briefly been introduced to Bosch’s work in an art history class. However, with further research and reading analysis of his work, I was impressed by the extent and quality of his work.

PRECEDENT RESEARCH 235

236 TERRAFORMS I The Fugitive (L'Évadé) from Natural History (Histoire Naturelle) c. 1925, published 1926

PRECEDENT RESEARCH 237 © 2022 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris Artist: Max Ernest

238 TERRAFORMS I A Little Girl Dreams of Taking the Veil (Rêve d'une petite fille qui voulut entrer au Carmel) 1930 © 2022 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris

PRECEDENT RESEARCH 239 During the 1910s and 1920s, Max Ernst was an influential leader of Europe's Dada and Surrealist movements. He used a variety of mediums to give visual form to both personal memory and collective myth, frequently combining fragments of images to express psychological disjunctions and societal upheavals. He is best known for developing frottage, a technique for creating patterns by rubbing a pencil or crayon over textured material. This technique was carried over into his paintings, which frequently depicted disjointed subjects in dreamlike landscapes. Max Erst is an artist that Lewis brought up while discussing how I might want my design approach to be. Ernst is known for his unique approach to combining reality with fantasy. In his artworks, he often incorporates elements of both the human and animal worlds, cre-ating figures that are half human and half animal. This technique of combining two species into one figure is captivating to me, as it reflects Ernst's interest in exploring the irrational and unconscious aspects of the human mind. His use of collage and frottage techniques also adds to the surreal and disjointed quality of his artworks, making them intriguing and thought-provoking. Repetitions (Répétitions) 1922 © 2022 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris

240 TERRAFORMS I A Page from Codex Seraphinianus by Luigi Serafini

PRECEDENT RESEARCH 241 Artist: Luigi Serafini

242 TERRAFORMS I A Page from Codex Seraphinianus by Luigi Serafini

PRECEDENT RESEARCH 243 Luigi Serafini is a designer, architect, and artist from Italy. He is best known for his Codex Seraphinianus, a book illustrated with surreal, imaginary worlds written in an invented language. The Codex Seraphinianus is a masterpiece of imaginative illustration and has been translated into numerous languages. In our Friday class, Lewis brought a number of books with him, and one that caught my eye was Codex Seraphinianus. Going through the pages of this book, I was struck by the high quality of the artwork and the unique way in which the artist, Luigi Serafini mixed reality and fantasy to create creatures that were both strange and familiar. I was truly amazed by his technique and ability to create such innovative and imaginative illustrations.

244 TERRAFORMS I

PRECEDENT RESEARCH 245 Artist: Ernst Haeckel

246 TERRAFORMS I

PRECEDENT RESEARCH 247 Ernst Haeckel was a 19th-century German biologist, naturalist, and artist. He is best known for his work in the field of evolution and his support for Charles Darwin's theories. During his career, Ernst Haeckel was a skilled artist who created a large number of illustrations, paintings, and other works of art. His work was distinguished by a detailed, realistic style in which he depicted the forms and structures of plants and animals with great accuracy. He was best known for his illustrations of microscopic organisms, which he did with great precision and beauty. His art was characterised by a love of the natural world and a desire to depict its beauty and complexity in all its forms.

248 TERRAFORMS I Image credit: Transport Accident Commission of Victoria, Australia.

PRECEDENT RESEARCH 249 Project: Graham

250 TERRAFORMS I Image credit: Transport Accident Commission of Victoria, Australia.