graphite; 20×16″
“Animal testing has been an issue for over 2,000 years. Animals are stripped from their families and homes to be tested and used like subjects, as if they do not have lives like humans. Some animals even go extinct due to weather or climate change in many areas. The last thing animals need is for humans to make their lifespans decrease faster. In my piece a laboratory scenery is shown with multiple cages depicting commonly tested animals. The numbers by the names show how many animals were in the cage before and already tested, while the remaining subjects stay inside. The bunny is worn out from testing. Animal testing can help prevent or cure diseases for humans, but it can also give misleading results because humans and animals are not the same, wasting money and time if tests fail. Animals deserve rights even if they cannot speak, and better alternatives exist, such as advancing in vitro methods like organoids that mimic human organs and tissue.”
ARTIST BIO: Reasia PAYNE is a grade 11 student at Butler Tech School of Art studying art under art teacher Mary Catherine Ruby.