Party's over...(Pygmy Rabbit)
Last week I sent this piece out to
Thinkspace Gallery in Culver City, CA for their upcoming show,
Wild at Heart: Keep Wildlife in the Wild, which opens this weekend. The show will benefit
Born Free USA, a non-profit organization that advocates for the ethical treatment and protection of wild animals. I really struggled with another piece (a bat) that I had started for the show months ago. I just couldn't get it to feel right and went back to research other endangered animals. I found the pygmy rabbit and everything just came together in a cute yet dark little piece (Just how I like it...)
Thinkspace is proud to present “Wild at Heart: Keep Wildlife in the
Wild,” an exhibition to raise awareness about the precarious predicament
of wild creatures around the world, and to benefit efforts to protect
them in their natural habitat. Featuring a stellar cast of more than 100
artists from all corners of the art world, this exhibition brings
together some of the most profound and innovative voices making art
today. In recognition of the imperiled state of much of the world’s
wildlife, each artist will apply their own unique perspective to our
relationship with the fascinating creatures with whom we share our
planet.
As the natural world becomes increasingly impacted by shifting
climate, human greed and diminishing resources, protecting those
creatures that still roam free becomes ever more vital to the soul of
humanity. For even if we could continue to exist without wildlife, the
spirit-crushing sadness that our species would take upon itself would
surely rob all joy from life. Those majestic, miraculous, elemental
beings which we admire from afar are at the root of who we are as people
— from the woodland protagonists of our childhood storybooks, to the
metaphors we use to describe ourselves as adults, to the animal spirits
that visit us in our dreams. As we take steps to protect them from those
who would rob them of their freedom, we also improve our own species’
chances to persist far into the future, both by preserving the natural
world we all share, and by cherishing the sacred genesis of our
imagination and symbology.
In appreciation of the magnificent creatures with whom we share the
planet, Thinkspace will donate 20% of the sale price of each piece of
art to Born Free USA and the Animal Protection Institute, which operate
jointly as a non-profit organization that advocates worldwide for the
ethical treatment and protection of wild animals, and also maintains a
large sanctuary for rescued primates. To honor the animals closest to
our hearts, the gallery will be accepting donations of old blankets to
donate to area shelters so dogs don’t have to sleep on cold hard
concrete, as well as other used and new pet supplies. The opening will
feature the release of a gorgeous limited edition screenprinted poster
especially created for the exhibition by the incomparable Aaron Horkey.
We hope you will join us on May 26th to celebrate and defend the wild
things that fill our lives with wonder and mystery.
/ˌkuː də ˈɡrɑːs/; French: [ku də ɡʁɑs], "blow of mercy") means a death
blow intended to end the suffering of a wounded creature. The phrase
can refer to the killing of civilians or soldiers, friends or enemies,
with or without the consent of the sufferer. It is often used
figuratively to describe the last in a series of events which brings
about the end of some entity; for example: "The business had been
failing for years; the coup de grâce was the sudden jump in oil prices."
