"Mass Awareness" 1 & 2 were titled from an episode of the animated TV series "Family Guy". The episode was titled "I dream of Jesus", and this segment (below) related to the outbreak of 'Bird Flu' and the consequent global hysteria regarding this epidemic. I read this as a comment on complacency regarding the health of both our immediate and global environments - Bird-Flu taken on as a metaphor for our morphing human condition at odds with an unknown future. My work always concerns the environment and technology with references to both human and environmental frailty. The vultures are a device representing optimism for a future in which we, as children, imagined a space-age 21st century that could transport us somewhere, ark-like, if the world went wrong.The Lappet Face Vulture and Turkey Vulture are coined as 'Old World Vultures', representing issues of our origin. The Andean Vulture and Californian Condor are coined as 'New World Vultures', and represent our present and future - having recently returned from the brink of extinction by way of human intervention.

[Peter, Stewie and Brian are sitting at the kitchen table. Brian is reading a newspaper]
Peter: Brian, can I see that paper for a sec? [Brian hands him the paper] Huh, that's odd. I thought that would be big news.
Brian: You thought what would be big news?
Peter: Well, there seems to be an absence of a certain ornithological piece. A headline regarding mass awareness of a certain avian variety.
Brian: What are you talking about?
Peter: Oh, have you not heard? It was my understanding that everyone had heard.
Brian: Heard what?
Stewie: Brian, don't!
[Peter puts the record on and starts dancing and singing
Geoff Dixon August 2011