Madeline Hardin

Sculpture

In my practice, I reflect on social issues that are often ignored or deliberately obscured. I explore themes such as animal cruelty, the harmful effects of capitalism, and the ethics of consumption. Rather than shocking viewers with hyper-realistic depictions of violence, my work frequently employs a playful aesthetic to reveal the trickery and deception that allows these topics to be overlooked. This approach challenges the viewer to confront uncomfortable truths while avoiding immediate rejection or desensitization, making my work more accessible and approachable. Animal cruelty is a recurring theme in my practice as I attempt to reveal the brutality behind industrialized farming and question how it has become a normalized form of abuse. I aim to connect people with the plight of these animals, fostering empathy and prompting viewers to reconsider their choices and actions in a world where our impact on the natural environment is undeniable.

"Dinner is Served: Life Sentence" (2024) is a mixed-media sculpture that addresses how livestock animals are mistreated and commodified for human gain. As viewers approach the piece, they are met with a plinth styled as an elegant dining table. A pristine white tablecloth and neatly folded napkin drape over the plinth, with a welded steel cage positioned as the ‘main course’ on a silver platter. Within this cage, copper foil cut-outs of cows, pigs, and chickens are layered between blown glass, encasing a stack of canned meat trapped inside. This sculpture is designed to provoke a mixture of emotional responses—discomfort, empathy, and reflection—urging viewers to question the ethics of meat consumption.

Beyond animal cruelty, my work interrogates capitalism’s broader impact on human and nonhuman lives alike. My work, "Old Money" (2023), explores the relentless pursuit of profit caused by a capitalist system, which has produced a society that prioritizes wealth over well-being. In this sculpture, a cartoon figure wears designer clothing and uncomfortably gorges on coins, which overflow from its belly. The work critiques greed, over-consumption, and the unequal distribution of wealth. I hope to provoke thought about the values we prioritize as a society and to inspire conversations about a more sustainable and equitable future.

My conceptual framework is informed by philosopher Jane Bennett’s theory on ‘vibrant matter’ (the idea that all matter, human or nonhuman, possesses an inherent power). Bennett criticizes the human tendency to view animals and materials as passive resources for exploitation. In "Dinner is Served: Life Sentence" (2024), the materials themselves resonate with Bennett’s philosophy that all matter possesses its own power and influence. Here, the glass, steel, and copper actively participate in the sculpture’s narrative, symbolizing life, oppression, and resistance. These materials are not passive; they react, resist, and endure. The steel cage embodies the physical and systemic control imposed on animals in the meat industry, while the glass—hot and fluid during the process—burns, blackens, and disfigures the copper animals. The ghostly, distorted copper figures evoke the animals’ suffering as they are transformed into commodities.

At its core, my work reveals how systems of violence and commodification operate beneath a surface of normalization and detachment. Industrial farming and corporate greed have made exploitation feel inevitable, numbing us to the ethical weight of our choices. At a time when ethical considerations are often overshadowed by convenience and profit, these conversations are more urgent than ever. I seek to expose the mechanisms that make exploitation feel routine, questioning how our society has been conditioned to accept suffering as a necessary by-product of consumption. I employ cartoonish qualities, exaggeration, and irony to create space for deeper reflection on individual and collective accountability. Through this accountability, I believe we can embark on a journey of conscious, intentional action that can lead to positive change.