Gymnogyps californianus Drawing

This is the second in a new series tentatively called Rara Avis: 50 Endangered Birds, focusing on species located in Mexico, where I live. My idea is to increase awareness of the plight of these rare and endangered winged animals, donating a portion of the proceeds of every sale to Pronatura (an environmental NGO ) What was aptly termed by biologist Elizabeth Kolbert the Sixth Extinction is a daunting phenomenon that, not unlike pollution, seems to drain the color from our existence. This, and the artivist associations with black-and-white compositions, are what led me to choose a monochromatic approach for this series. I am not a bird watcher myself, but several of my closest family members are, which led me to focus for the moment on the presence and beauty of these marvelous winged creatures in our lives. Rather than destroying museum artworks created by others as a form of protest, as we have seen in the news lately, my intent here is to complete the series, then erase those species that have not been sold, leaving only the silhouette of the bird in question. I will also create GIFs and NFTs of the drawings that have been erased, to leave a record of their fleeting presence and to convey the permanent sense of loss bequeathed by their distinction. Hopefully, this destructive praxis will mirror my personal anguish at the demise of these beautiful creatures as a result of climate change and environmental destruction.