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Patent Cow
20"H
x 16"W
This painting was created for a 2007 "Food for Thought" exhibition in Alexandria, VA. A dangerous wave of privatization of all biological diversity is presently taking place under the label of 'intellectual property rights', i.e. patenting of seeds, plants, animals and individual parts of DNA. The patenting of biological material raises a number of issues worthy of consideration. It can bring societal benefits such as pest-resistant and high-yield agriculture, new drugs, new foods, and even new science, but it is also thought that central control of the food supply through monopoly patent rights could make farmers, food producers, and ultimately consumers, entirely dependent on a corporate entity for a basic human need. Additionally, existing living organisms, as well as their genes, are considered to be no one's invention and should never be patented and put under private control.
$320
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