The Department of Justice recently came up with a new proposal to exclude varying types of service animals that many people find necessary for their disabilities or conditions. The D.O.J's list already includes "wild animals" that are not commonly domesticated: such as reptiles, ponies, ferrets, goats, and even monkeys. Much debate has been going on to redraft legal guidelines to clearly classify what can be considered a "service animal". Public health is an issue, as some animals can lash out if overly teased or they can acquire or carry certain diseases that can be deadly to humans. But at the same time, many of these animals go through extensive training to become a replaced "limb" of person. Service animals can physically help those who are blind or quadriplegic, as well as psychologically calm a person's severe mania disorder. The question comes to understanding whether the law has become borderline ridiculous in its broad definition of a service animal or whether certain procedures are done to turn an animal into a safe service animal is ethically humane. According to a recent article in the New York Times Magazine, canine teeth are removed from helper monkeys before they are passed onto owners.
I made a series about helper monkeys to let the public wonder about the heated issue on service animals, which is probably something we rarely hear about. I painted these on wooden panels with watercolor and ink for a group exhibition at the Secret Project Robot Gallery in Brooklyn, New York. The theme for the show was about sidekicks, in terms of fictional beings or in real life.
"Making Pancakes; Answering the Phone; Taking Out the Trash"watercolor & ink on wood, 2007
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