Extinction Studies
2019 - ongoing
In my "Extinction Studies" series, I research maps of Adirondack region in northern New York state and trace animals’ names from the maps. On these maps, I was fascinated by finding so many places that bear animals’ names, such as “Little Otter Pond” or “Salmon River.” In my drawings, these names are left blank by carefully painting around the texts and everything else in black India ink. Floating in the sea of blackness, these names become stars in the sky, constellations, and ghosts of our memories of places we hold dear.
The Adirondack Forest Preserve in 1885 was prompted by the public outcry over water quality and deforestation of the land in the Adirondack region. Today’s Adirondack Park, a six-million acre of public and private lands, was established in 1892 to protect the region from uncontrolled deforestation.
The Adirondack region became a very important place in my heart since 2005 when I was introduced to this magical place through an art residency.
