Now selling all the Darwin merchandise so you can cash in!
for example the:
Evolving Darwin Play Set, more amusing than scientifically accurate
The Charles Darwin bobblehead
or maybe a Charles Darwin finger puppet
how about a t-shirt?
Charles Darwin “Little Thinker” plush toy
Charles Darwin and friends in the Scientists Collection
or (and this is my favorite) even your own life size cut out! for those long lonely nights at sea…why?
Darwin is the first of the evolutionary biologists, the originator of the concept of natural selection. His principal works,The Origin of The Species by Means of Natural Selection (1859) and The Descent of Man (1871) marked a new epoch. His works were violently attacked and energetically defended, then; and, it seems, yet today.
Charles Robert Darwin was born at Shrewsbury. His father was a doctor and his mother was the daughter of Josiah Wedgwood. Darwin first studied medicine at Edinburgh. Will as they might, it soon became clear to the family, and particularly to young Charles, that he was not cut out for a medical career; he was transferred to Cambridge (Christ’s Church, 1828), there to train for the ministry. While at Cambridge, Darwin befriended a biology professor (John Stevens Henslow, 1796-1861) and his interest in zoology and geography grew.
The question for Darwin was that of process, a question which, for twenty years, Darwin worked on. He considered his own personal experiences which were considerable and the data that he had gathered. He read and read widely; he abstracted the learned journals; he talked to breeders of domesticated animals. And only after years of work did Darwin feel himself ready to express himself. More years were to pass, during which he gathered more and more evidence, when, in 1859, Darwin came out with his scholarly presentation, The Origin of Species.
The question I am sure that you are thinking is what is the relationship to Art? Well I think that very significant cultural shift that he created, immediately springs to mind. Secondly his process, he process of questioning every avenue could be seen as reflective of how Art could be made. And most definitely how art should be written about and appreciated.
There are few people today who are unfamiliar with Darwin’s theory of evolution, expressed in his seminal work On the Origin of Species, which celebrated its 150th anniversary last year (2009). But how much do we know about the man Charles Darwin? The husband and father whose research forced a fundamental shift in thinking? Creation has been adapted from the book Annie’s Box, written by British conservationist, Randal Keynes (Darwin’s great great grandson) and looks to give audiences a glimpse into the personal life of Darwin.
The film focuses on Darwin’s (Paul Bettany, Legion) relationship with his eldest daughter, Annie (Martha West, daughter of The Wire’s Dominic West) who tragically died at the age of 10. Darwin’s grief affects both his physical and mental health. He is paralysed, caught between science, his empirical findings and religion, part of his family life. Charles’ loving wife, Emma (played by Bettany’s real-life wife, Jennifer Connelly, House of Sand and Fog), is unwaiving in her religious beliefs and this causes her to not only worry about her husband’s deteriorating condition, but also his potential eternal resting place.
British director Jon Amiel (The Core, The Man who Knew Too Little) glorifies nature throughout the film, with enhanced scenes of the natural world, emphasised in vivid colours. The wonder of nature is in sharp contrast to the darkening gloom of Darwin’s mind. Haunted by guilt, real and imagined, Darwin seems to be living a life in limbo-caught in memories of happier times.
Creation is also a film concerned with storytelling. Darwin at times proves to be an enthralling narrator, as he tells tales from his explorations and studies- that seem to highlight the best-intentioned, tragedy of Western men’s interference with nature. These sections are some of the most engaging parts of the film.
This insight into Darwin’s life, specifically the idea that during this period his professional and personal life were drawn in vastly different directions, is fascinating. But Creation seems preoccupied with the family drama unsure how to balance in the science. Without bringing in the broader frames of reference, hinted at in the roles of Benedict Cumberbatch (Joseph Hooker, Atonement) and Thomas Huxley (Toby Jones, Infamous), the film at time struggles with the religion vs science debate it has set up. But Creation is by no means a wash out. With solid performances, this film provides an interesting alternative look at one of the most influential scientists of the modern era.
