emma allen traces the history of humankind by transforming her face with paint

using only facepaint, a mirror and a camera, artist emma allen traces the history of humankind’s presence on earth by using her face as a living canvas. the animation, captured in her video ‘santiago’, sees allen’s facial features morph and change as eons of evolution play out: from the past, to the present, and well into the future.

allen traces the history of humankind’s presence on earth by using her face as a living canvas

‘as our evolution turns from biological to technological, are we now the bridge between the born and the made?’, questions emma allen, whose face stands in for the literal surface of the earth. from the single cell origins of life, to minute reptiles, to the neanderthals, allen’s visage transforms to accommodate each new iteration of life.

just as we reach modern day, allen’s own appearance is revealed, but it’s not long before the effect of technology starts to show, and evolution takes on a decidedly digital aesthetic… 

the animation sees allen’s facial features morph and change as eons of evolution play out

allen’s visage transforms to accommodate each new iteration of life

as our evolution turns from biological to technological, are we now the bridge between the born and the made?

it’s not long before the effect of technology starts to show, and evolution takes on a decidedly digital aesthetic…