HUMAN NATURE (2020)

A scorpion asks a frog to carry him over a river. The frog is afraid of being stung, but the scorpion argues that if it did so, both would sink and the scorpion would drown. The frog then agrees, but midway across the river the scorpion does indeed sting the frog, dooming them both. When asked why, the scorpion points out that this is its nature.; Told to Tom by his grandmother- from father’s side- when he was young, this nostalgic tale formed the basic inspiration for this work.

The scorpion and the frog seems to have emerged in Russia in the early 20th century, although it was likely inspired by more ancient fables. A common moral interpretation is that people with vicious personalities cannot resist hurting others, even when it is not in their interests. The scorpion and the frog is unique in the sense that the scorpion is irrationally self-destructive and fully aware of it. Freud proposed that “the goal of all life is death. When this energy -the death- drive- is directed outward toward others, it is expressed as aggression and violence.” Throughout (art)history the scorpion often attains a role as guardian in the life-after-death. In Egyptian times the animal was a symbol of goddess Selket, the guardian of transitioning souls and protector of mummification rituals. The frog as spirit animal or totem reminds us of the transient nature of our lives, supporting us in times of change. We are on the threshold of a whole new way of thinking about human development.

Tom questions where our very identity lies and how it is constructed. He uses the above parable to describe nature versus nurture debate; one of the oldest issues within psychology. Art and science address the question of what makes us who we are in difficult, often contradictory ways. The debate centers on the relative contributions of genetic inheritance and environmental factors to human development. Some philosophers such as Plato and Descartes suggested that certain things are inborn, or that they occur naturally regardless of environmental influences. Well-known thinkers such as John Locke believed in what is known as tabula rasa, which suggests that the mind begins as a blank slate, implying all our knowledge and identity is determined by our experience. Today, the majority of experts believe that both nature and nurture influence behavior and development. However, this debate has continued to stir up controversy in many areas. Reframing of human nature offers a rational way to address the political and moral fears of human nature. Many researchers today are interested in seeing how genes modulate environmental influences and vice versa. Art and science have always used extensions of the self to surpass our physical existence.

Created for the Me, Myself and I exhibition, the scenography of this work plays out the complexities of the definition of self. Within a 50 x 50 x 60 cm scorpion terrarium, filled with fertile Haspengouw soil (the birth region of the artist) and a small river, stands a striking polyester bust of the artist. The installation tells a deeply personal tale of layered symbolism, playfully demonstrating the artists outlook on the nature versus nurture theme. The bust of the artist was cast by the father of the artist -an artist as well-, the person who was indispensable for the creation; of Tom in the first place. Through this installation, the artist seizes control of time and space. There is an essential element of “control” in the art of self-portraiture. This sense of control, however, quickly gets disrupted by the living scorpion, roaming the glass cage. The scorpion is a symbol of the passionate and untameable self-reliance of the artist. It stands for Tom`s determined, self-conscious nature and the way he tries to accomplish concepts.

Self-portraiture is a conscious exercise in existentialism, acting simultaneously as a memento mori, and as a vehicle for immortality. As a conscious act, Tom documents his inner and outer self, meticulously curating both the painful and the triumphant facets of existence, allowing the public to reconsider stereotypes. This installation allows us to re-examine assumptions about our core state of being, encouraging us to reconsider the “wild vs. domestic” dialectic. Challenging previous modes of perceptions of identity and reality tout court, Tom reminds us of the brevity of youth, beauty and life itself. The coins replacing an eye in the artist’s bust therefore, refer to the coins needed to pay Charon for passage cross the River Styx and into the underworld in Greek mythology.

The universal fact of life that one day or another things do fall apart inspired Tom to create an artwork with the intention to slowly disappear. Fungi eating away the bust of the artist, leaving . The high humidity in the terrarium activates a decomposition process we can watch first hand.

© Text by Lara van Oudenaarde.
© Photos by Tom Herck.