My object is a plastic toy gorilla that resembles King Kong, standing upright on its hind legs. Literally, it’s a mass-produced children’s toy. Symbolically, the toy denotes the myth of King Kong, which is a creature that represents the clash between nature and civilization, and power and vulnerability. Connotatively, the toy evokes ideas of monster movies and childhood play. It also reminds me of action figures and the way we often reduce complex characters or fears into playful, collectible forms. For my project, I want to explore how actual gorillas in the wild are threatened by humans, and I think it ties in nicely with the story of King Kong and how his character was captured and used for entertainment purposes.