BA, Art (Studio Arts – Print and Narrative Forms)

Artist Statement

A rising issue on everyone’s mind in recent years has been climate change. It seems to loom over every aspect of our ever-changing world. What’s caught my eye particularly about human relationships with their environment is the impact which they’ve had on every facet of the animal kingdom. My work explores the animals being affected by human affairs in the most extreme ways- causing endangerment and extinction. My interest lies in making detailed prints of keystone and indicator herptiles – reptiles and amphibians – and forms of marine life that are often overlooked in the conversation about extinction.

Keystone animals, like the gopher tortoise, are animals whose habits and lifestyle quite literally shape the land and lives of the animals around them. Not only are they critical in the food chain, as herptiles and many forms of marine life are, but these relationships are often crucial to the survival of other species. Discussing their role is important to the health of our environment, and almost always comes back to affect us as well. Indicator species are animals that we use to monitor the health of our environment. Often, these animals are amphibious, or their lifestyles include all-terrain habits- utilizing land, water, and air. Through my work I hope to raise awareness of creatures that we’ve failed or are currently

failing to protect, and inspire a sense of awe about those creatures. I want to highlight the importance of these animals in our environment.

I’m currently making intaglio prints to capture the precise detail I want to display to viewers, which I feel is the best way to represent these animals. I’ve recently been devoted to finding ways to make my practices in intaglio more eco-friendly. If I’m not invested in and committed to making my practice safer for the environment, I’m not practicing what I preach.