Baylee Grueser

Amur Leopard: Critically Endangered

For my piece, “flight” is that unwanted shove we all experience in a direction that causes you to either adapt, or disappear. 

A quote from Steve Irwin, one of the most well-known conservationists, states: “We don’t own the planet Earth, we belong to it. And we must share it with our wildlife.” We live in an age of innovation, of technological advancements, of growth. Yet we are surrounded by the simplistic items and values of where we once started. Animal conservation is as complex yet simplistic as we wish to make it, and so is art. This was the concept I ran with for my piece. Paint swatches were the only grounds to create the Amur Leopard from. In order to see their complexity, you have to look closely at their fur, the location of their spots, their facial expressions. 

You have to ask yourself “Why am I doing this?”. There is an importance to recognition on the spot. We see these beautiful creatures, such as leopards and tigers, and are amazed by their colors and size, their existence. Yet we rarely ask ourselves if we will continue to see them outside a setting such as a zoo. How many animals have you seen that no longer exist? When you look at my piece, I want you to see the leopard first. Then, I want you to ask yourself these questions as you read deeper into why these animals matter.