Swan Song - Canto 5 Print

I created the Swan Song series of analogue collages for a pop-up gallery show at a time when I was going through a difficult life transition, and I was considering no longer making art. My thinking was that the series could be considered my own swan song. However, for me, the meaning of the series goes far beyond the personal. For some time, our planet's ecosystems have been in crisis. A report released in 2018 estimated that 60% of the world's wildlife has gone extinct since 1970. A 2019 report estimates that up to one million species of plants and animals face extinction in the coming decades, and that the loss of species and habitats poses as much a danger to life on Earth as climate change does - the interconnected relationships of different species is vital to maintaining the health and viability of ecosystems and our planet. The Swan Song series looks at human relationships with animals and the environment during this critical time.