Brave New World stands as one of the most prophetic novels written on the development of Western society. The author, Aldous Huxley, sets it in a London of the future, where drugs and technology are used to ensure the population’s complacency. The state controls the people without their knowledge or permission. By forcing specific ideals and values onto certain classes of people, a cycle of perpetual indoctrination occurs; it is applied even before birth. In fact, no one is “born” in the traditional sense. A genetic modification process called “decanting” is implemented in place of human sexual procreation. In this way, one embryo produces up to ninety-six identical twins to be divided into social castes. State propaganda is broadcast as they sleep, distinctly curated depending on caste status, while Pavlovian conditioning is enforced during the day. Since the state controls birth, there is no need for family or monogamy. Everyone belongs to everyone else. Mother is a shameful word and orgies are plentiful. The worship of technology and consumerism creates a society oppressed by their own desires. Brave New World sees all emotion outside of happiness eliminated scientifically; love, hate, jealousy, desire are all nonexistent. But without the full spectrum of emotion, what is happiness if not simply a synthetic state? These watercolors explore the translation of Huxley's future to modern times.
All pieces are done in watercolor on 22"x30" Arches 300lb cold-pressed paper.