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Shaping humanity

John Gurche

2013256 pagesabout 4–6 hours
2013
first published
  • 2013Yale University Press · 256 pages · ENGISBN 9780300185331
  • 2013Yale University Press · 345 pages · ENGISBN 9780300182026
  • 2013Yale University Press · 364 pages · ENGISBN 9781306370516
  • 2015Yale University Press · 368 pages · ENGISBN 9780300216844

What did earlier humans really look like? What was life like for them, millions of years ago? How do we know? In this book, internationally renowned paleo-artist John Gurche describes the extraordinary process by which he creates forensically accurate and hauntingly realistic representations of our ancient humans ancestors. Inspired by a lifelong fascination with all things pre-historic and gifted with a unique artistic vision, Gurche has studied fossil remains, comparative ape and human anatomy and forensic reconstruction for over three decades. His artworks appear in world class museums and publications ranging from National Geographic to the journal Science, and he is widely known for his contributions to Steven Speilberg's Jurassic Park and a number of acclaimed television specials. For the Smithsonian Institution's groundbreaking David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins, opened in 2010, Gurche created fifteen sculptures representing six million years of human history.

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