Un/Natural Selections: Wildlife in Contemporary Art
From Julie Buffalohead and Kiki Smith to Walton Ford and James Prosek, the artists in this exhibition represent another stage in the evolution of animal art.
Julie Buffalohead (Enrolled Member of the Ponca Tribe, United States, b. 1972). Six-Pack Colonialism, 2018. Oil on canvas. Gift of the 2019 Blacktail Gala, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Julie Buffalohead. M2019.006.
Wild animals have been present in art since the first artists painted images on cave walls or carved figures in stone tens of thousands of years ago. Today’s artists continue to use animal imagery as a way to address humanity’s interconnectedness with the natural world. Un/Natural Selections: Wildlife in Contemporary Art, organized by the National Museum of Wildlife Art, explores the meaning of these creative expressions within the context of contemporary art. Featuring a diverse group of more than forty artworks from the National Museum of Wildlife Art’s permanent collection, the exhibition offers a wide range of styles in a variety of media, divided into four thematic sections: Tradition, Politics, Science, and Aesthetics. These realms act as overlapping chapters, investigating the ways we use animal imagery to tackle human concerns and responsibilities.
The title of this exhibition is a play on Charles Darwin’s concept of natural selection from his pivotal writing, On the Origin of Species (1859). Darwin’s ideas contributed much to the development of wildlife art in the late nineteenth century, as artists began to represent animals in natural habitats, enacting natural behaviors. From Julie Buffalohead and Kiki Smith to Walton Ford and James Prosek, the artists in this exhibition represent another stage in the evolution of animal art: choosing to represent animals in alternative, unnatural spaces—spaces more often directly linked to civilization than to wilderness.
Un/Natural Selections: Wildlife in Contemporary Art is organized by the National Museum of Wildlife Art. Generous support provided by Art Bridges.
Exhibitions are made possible by assistance provided by the County of Westchester.
Featured Artists
Troy Abbott • Timothy Berg and Rebekah Myers • George Boorujy • John Buck • Julie Buffalohead • Mark Dion • Mark Eberhard • Dave Eggers • Juan Fontanive • Walton Ford • Scott Fraser • Peter Gerakaris • Gillie and Marc • Penelope Gottlieb • Starr Hardridge • Nicola Hicks • Dennis Hlynsky • Barbara Kassel • Zoe Keller • Wendy Klemperer • Kollabs, Anke Schofield and Luis Garcia-Nerey • Emily Lamb • Ruth Marshall • Wendy Maruyama • Robert McCauley • William Morris • Marc Petrovic • James Prosek • Shelley Reed • Preston Singletary • Allison Leigh Smith • Kiki Smith • Shawn Smith • Lauren Strohacker and Kendra Sollars • William Sweetlove • Leslie Thornton • Paul Villinski • JenMarie Zeleznak
Press
Selected objects
Troy Abbott (United States, b. 1967). Jewel, 2014. Vintage birdcage, circuit board and video screen. Gift of 2016 Blacktail Gala, with additional funds provided by Friends of the National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Troy Abbott. M2016.007.
Timothy Berg (United States, b. 1977) and Rebekah Myers (United States, b. 1977). Turn a Blind Eye, 2018. Glazed ceramic and maple wood. Gift of the 2019 Collectors Circle, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Timothy Berg and Rebekah Myers. M2019.021.
Julie Buffalohead (Enrolled Member of the Ponca Tribe, United States, b. 1972). Six-Pack Colonialism, 2018. Oil on canvas. Gift of the 2019 Blacktail Gala, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Julie Buffalohead. M2019.006.
Mark Dion (United States, b. 1961). World in a Box, 2015. Suite of 27 prints (lithography, cyanotype, digital, screenprint, etching, letterpress and woodcut) in a custom-made oak wood storage box with etching and letterpress cover image (on lid) and lithograph inventory list (inside lid). Gift of 2016 Blacktail Gala, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Mark Dion. M2016.006.001.
Juan Fontanive (United States, b. 1977). Ornithology P, 2014. Screen print on Bristol paper, stainless steel, motor, and electronics. Gift of the 2017 Blacktail Gala, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Juan Fontanive. M2017.002.002.
Peter Gerakaris (United States, b. 1981). Caravan (Owl), 2012. Oil on canvas. Purchased with funds generously donated by Adrienne and John Mars, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Peter Gerakaris. M2016.042.
Gillie and Marc. Gillie (Australia, b. England, 1965) and Marc (Australia, b. 1961). The Last Three Stood Proud and Tall, 2018. Bronze. Gift of the 2018 Collectors Circle, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Gillie and Marc. M2018.054.
Penelope Gottlieb (United States, b. 1952). Leucanthemum vulgare, 2011. Acrylic and ink over reproduction Audubon print. Gift of the 2012 Collectors Circle, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Penelope Gottlieb. M2012.023.
Starr Hardridge (Muskogee Creek, b. 1974). Cycle of Abundance, 2018. Acrylic over Venetian porcelain on canvas. Gift of the 2020 Blacktail Gala, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Starr Hardridge. M2020.010.
Nicola Hicks (England, b. 1960). Little Bear, 2015. Bronze. Purchased with Funds Generously Donated by Bettina M. Whyte, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Nicola Hicks. M2015.117.
Zoe Keller (United States, b. 1989). Fire, 2016. Graphite on paper. Purchased with funds generously donated by Dick and Val Beck, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Zoe Keller. M2017.005.001.
Wendy Klemperer (United States, b. 1958). Western Red Fox, 2017. Steel reinforcing bars. Gift of the 2018 Blacktail Gala, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Wendy Klemperer. M2018.004.
KOLLABS. Anke Schofield (United States, b. 1972) and Luis Garcia Nerey (United States, b. Puerto Rico, 1973). Watson, 2013. Mixed media on panel. Gift from E.J. Jewett and Russell Orton, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © KOLLABS. W2013.066.
Emily Lamb (England, b. 1980). Lioness, 2014. Oil on canvas. Gift of the 2015 Collectors Circle, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Emily Lamb. M2015.119.
Ruth Marshall (United States, b. Australia, 1964). Tiger Cub, 2010. Yarn sponsored by Lion Brand, string, sticks. Gift of the 2015 Blacktail Gala with additional funds by Anonymous, Alison Brush, Amy and Bomber Bryan, Lisa Jennings, Laura and James C. McNutt, Richard Spencer and Polly Warner, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Ruth Marshall. M2015.005.007.
Wendy Maruyama (United States, b. 1952). Homage to Tyke, 2015. Wood, string, ink and paint. Gift of the 2017 Collectors Circle, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Wendy Maruyama. M2017.019.
Marc Petrovic (United States, b. 1967). Avian Pair (detail), 2014. Hot sculpted glass and murrini. Gift of the 2017 Blacktail Gala, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Marc Petrovic. M2017.003a, b.
Allison Leigh Smith (United States, b. 1976). The Common Thread, 2018. Oil on canvas. Gift of the 2019 Blacktail Gala, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Allison Leigh Smith. M2019.005.
Shawn Smith (United States, b. 1972). Gouldian Finch, 2014. Balsa, bass wood, acrylic paint, ink. Gift of the 2015 Blacktail Gala, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Shawn Smith. M2015.005.001.
William Sweetlove (Belgian, b. 1949). Cloned Penguin with PET Bottle (Blue, Green, Yellow), 2013. Plastic resin. Purchased with funds generously donated by Adam Meyer and Jennifer Simon, National Museum of Wildlife Art. M2017.006.001,.002,.003.
