Samantha Dennis_2021 portrait a

Samantha Dennis is a jewellery and object-based artist working in Launceston, Tasmania. Her studio-based practice combines the traditional jewellery craft of goldsmithing with ceramics and glass. Fascinated by the ways society has sought to explain and order the phenomena of life, her work navigates themes biology and museums. Sam has described her childhood ambitions as torn between a career in natural sciences or the visual arts; her practice now bridges these two passions. Her current PhD research examines human relations to insects, juxtaposing tropes of preciousness and desire against typical reactions of repulsion and fear. This approach considers how jewellery can act as a filter to mediate the relationship between humans and animals, and questions how implication of function, value, and intimacy may be used to alter the way we experience insects and environments.

Are you new to animal studies research? Do you grapple with current theoretical debates – such as intersectionality and decolonial approaches? Do you wonder how and where to publish? If you would like to understand the basics of the publication process, from pitching an article idea to responding to peer review and get advice on what’s possible when working with non-traditional outputs – such as visual art and creative writing – join us at the master class: Tools for Animal Studies Research.

This interactive online event, presented by the Australasian Animal Studies Association (AASA), is aimed at higher degree and early career researchers interested in animal studies. You will have an opportunity to hear from scholars doing innovative work in the field and ask questions.

Feb 10 2021