Extinct

Artistic Impressions of Our Lost Wildlife

Benjamin Gray author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:CSIRO Publishing

Published:30th Oct '21

£53.00

Available to order, but very limited on stock - if we have issues obtaining a copy, we will let you know.

Extinct cover

Australia is home to an incredible diversity of native animals. While Australian animals are among the most unique in the world, they are also among the most endangered, with hundreds currently on the brink of extinction. We must act quickly if we are to save these species, as once gone, they are gone forever.

Extinct is a collection of artworks from established and emerging Australian fine artists, each depicting an Australian animal that has already, for various reasons, tumbled over the edge into extinction. Extinct laments their loss, but also celebrates their former existence, diversity and significance. The stunning artworks are accompanied by stories of each animal, highlighting the importance of what we have lost, so that we appreciate what we have not lost yet.

FEATURES

  • Features original artworks by over 40 of Australia's contemporary and most distinguished artists, including those from Indigenous and migrant backgrounds and artists with intellectual disabilities.
  • Highlights many species that have never been depicted or photographed before, or those for which only a handful of visual references exist.
  • Presents physical descriptions and meticulously researched, fascinating facts about the behaviour and biology of these lost species.
  • Includes previously unheard stories of these extinct species, drawn from Indigenous histories, colonial commerce and European settlement.
  • Extinct features artworks from Bernard Ollis, Brook Garru Andrew, Bruce Goold, Chris O'Doherty (AKA Reg Mombassa), Sally Robinson, Eliza Gosse and Jenny Watson.

"I am devastated that I will never see a Gastric Brooding Frog give birth through her mouth or a Big Eared Hopping Mouse disappear into the distance. I will never hear the call of a Christmas Island Pipistrelle pierce the night or the roar of a Thylacinus. With whimsical portraits and sober words, Dr Benjamin Gray reminds us of what we have already lost and implores us to keep fighting for all our unique creatures – be they small, brown or hopping." -- Dr Jenny Gray * Chief Executive Officer, Zoos Victoria *
"Notwithstanding the eloquence and insightfulness of the words, it is the artworks that give this book its power, pathos and beauty; its ability to move us. Each of the 39 extinct species is portrayed in a manner that gives some sense of its essence." -- John Woinarski * Historical Records of Australian Science 33(1) *
"The stunning artworks are accompanied by stories of each animal, highlighting the importance of what we have lost so that we appreciate the species we have not yet lost." * Australian Wildlife Volume 3 *

ISBN: 9781486313716

Dimensions: 305mm x 215mm x 16mm

Weight: 1333g

136 pages