The
Rubber Man
EXIT
ART
November
2003
The
Rubber-Man is a representation of the environmentalists and human rights leader
Chico Mendes. The movement of rubber tapers he helped created in the Amazon
rainforest, presented the world the first steps to sustainable development,
Chico was killed by timber and logging interests in 1988,
In
a body made of silicone rubber with the vital organs filled with images of
vegetation, this piece symbolizes the endless search for a balance between
progress and conservation. The dual reality we live in is expressed in the
combination of a handcrafted process with an industrial and even chemical
material that comes from rubber.
The
influence of Chico Mendes was strong in the international arena, even reshaping
some US laws and questioning mega projects financed by the World Bank in Latin
America. However, the future of the 40% of the worldÕs remaining tropical
rainforest is still endangeredÉ