The Mimic

Mimicry is found throughout the world because it can be a very successful strategy. Phasmids, for instance, mimic living biomass to confuse the predators who seek to eat them. Make other species use this camouflage strategy, including snakes who mimic rocky patterns and piles of leaves. However, some snakes will mimic other venomous snakes. This leads to predators avoiding them for fear of being struck by the venom even though the snake is harmless. Of course, mimicry is found all throughout our social world. People, businesses, nations -- they all mimic each others' strategies. Producers will create cheap knock-offs to mimic the quality of an original version. Among artists, mimicry spans two poles. On the one hand, mimicry is a sincere form of flattery. I regularly mimic the styles of artists I like. But on the other hand, it is now possible to mimic and steal credit for ideas. As individuals, we must vigilantly identify causes where mimicry could arise.

Pen and ink on Bristol. Printed 5x8 inch on Polar Matte Arctic White from Red River Paper.