Contemporary Heroes

This woodcut references the practices of Operation Migration, and supporting conservation groups, who have successfully bred and released over 400 whooping cranes into the wild and then trained them to follow their historic migration path through the use of ultralight planes. In my woodcut these characters, both human and bird, share space in an iconographic style that references stained glass windows and medieval paintings of religious figures. Calling upon our familiarity with these religious paintings, I elicit hope for a future where conservation is more commonly adapted into mainstream culture. 

“Contemporary Heroes”, Woodcut and Watercolor, Archival printmaking paper (BFK), 69” x 39”, 2017