Thin Blue Line, graphite, watercolor, and specialized pigments, and natural indigo by The Pigment Hunter, 2020 (84 x 48”)
(I envisioned Endangered as an exhibition about our disconnection from nature and the inevitable tragic outcome, a continuation of Seton’s warnings. The invited artists created a variety of responses. Intended for the walls of the Seton Gallery, the show is presented in a series of blog postings. Images and text copyright belong to the individual artists. dlw)
Breakfast Meeting with the Artist
“We should be schooled in the idea that every living thing has consciousness [and thus value]. We are not taught to see the magic.” Máye told me this as she and I discussed a range of issues during a breakfast meeting in Taos on February 10—not suspecting that just over a month later, such lovely social occasions would themselves become endangered. In addition to being an artist, Máye operates an art gallery on Taos Plaza (Studio 107b) where she pursues the very important work on showing local artists, many of whom regularly create paintings, drawings and sculpture on environmental themes.
I’ll paraphrase from the notes I took on what she said:
Humans have a sense of removal from nature. Significant species extinction: we’re next if it keeps going this way. The Bee crisis is 20 years old—we’ve known about it at least that long. But it is talked about as if only recently discovered. People act as if ignorant of the importance of life. Related social issues: racial harmony. Water conservation. Social interactions and water use—people often seem entirely unconscious about them. These are all related, not separate.
Teaching kids about these issues of the greatest importance. Introducing children to the creative process has lasting impact. Seeds planted in young minds shows human possibility. The teaching of Science often suggests human superiority to the rest of the living world, but we must let go of this and understand that we are one among many. Apathy is our downfall. There may not be a world two generations from now unless we recognize we as individuals become conscious of what is happening to nature and the environment, to local society and culture. We must become conscious about the consequences of our daily actions.