I chose to do an artwork piece because I felt as if it would add another layer to my thesis. Having a variety of work would help to represent the five questions and topics in my thesis. For my art piece, I used a variety of mediums. I used prisma colored pencil for the cow itself and an xacto blade to give detail to the cows hair. As for the rest of the picture, the bars are made of paper that are colored with markers to resemble steel bars. All of the pieces are on a black foam board for structure. My reasoning for wanting to draw a cow behind bars was because I wanted to represent the animal abuse in which the animals that are used for food go through. The bars are to show how they are they are stuck and are unable to ever be free from the vicious cycle of the meat and dairy industry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the cow, I attempted to make it look as if it is in stress with its mouth open and for its eyes I tried to show some type of pain. I feel as if it is important to show how these animals are actual prisoners, they are confined and treated horribly because many people do not know where their food comes from or how their food is treated. People should be aware of where their food comes from and how it is treated because it not only can hurt the animals but can hurt the people who are eating the food themselves. If someone wants to eat meat or dairy products it is important not only ethically, but for one's own health to eat humanly or organically raised animals who are living in good conditions. I am displaying what an animal looks like when they are in this stressful position. I am representing the life of the animals that will soon be produced and eaten by many. These animals are treated cruelly as they are tortured in their cramped and disgusting factory farms. Some of these animals never feel grass under their feet, never breathe fresh air, and never even see the sky or the sun. It is the reality that animals are living like this for our own supply of food. They live stressed lives in disgustingly run farms. This is the reality of the animal industry and this is the reality of where the food on your plate is coming from.