Evolutionary Enigma

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Size: 35 x 30 x 13 cm
Media: Polymer clay, acrylic paint

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I initially intended this piece to show the ‘timeline’ or evolutionary tree of the octopus. I became extremely frustrated while researching and trying to understand the evolution of this animal, as so little is known about it and most of its evolution is based on speculation due to a lack of fossils. Different sources contradict one another and there are ongoing disputes on whether certain organisms even belong in the octopus’ lineage at all (eg. Nectocaris). I found it impossible to present a definitive timeline for the octopus’ evolution.

I decided to show this frustration and confusion rather than to try (and fail) to produce a chronology. The octopus is the central figure of the work and is seen to be holding its ‘ancestors’ around itself in a jumbled way. The smaller figures are painted black (like the ‘unknown’ part of the collage piece) because there is so little known about them and where they fit into evolution.

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