Casting Nature is the show of 18-century art that is designed around Machine d'Argent, a silver masterpiece by François-Thomas Germain. What makes the sculpture unique is that, unlike the other table centerpieces produced at that time, it had no function outside of being a decorative object.
Somehow this show really made me think of the purpose of art making. I noticed that the piece doesn't appeal to me emotionally, but, on the contrary, makes me thing of the dead rabbit and birds and regret the fact that the majority of humans are not vegetarian. Could it be because of my mindset on that day? But at the same time, the other silver pieces that had certain functionality assigned to them didn't evoke the same kind of feeling. (By the way, I'm not a vegetarian, although I'd like to be one.)
Similar is true about paintings. Speaking outside of the admiration of the technical skills of the painter, I felt sorry for the dead little birds. Maybe because in my mind little birds are not supposed to be eaten. Perhaps, for the 18th century person who didn't get much meat on the table, this art was telling a different story.
Perhaps there is a change in perception between 18th and the 21st centuries. During the period of Enlightenment, people (artists) were trying to replicate and rival the nature. Now, with all the ecological issues, there is a concept of how fragile life really is.
http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/casting_nature/
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