Art Illustrations
#animals #graphite #ink #Juliet Schrekinger #surreal
“Timekeepers”. All images © Juliet Schrekinger, shared with permission
Photography has an impulse for preservation, to cloister the fleeting and preserve it for future memory. Artist Juliet Schrekinger references this act of protection in her ink and graphite works that evoke the gritty qualities of black and white film through a distinctly surreal vision.
Throughout her childhood, Schrekinger watched her mother take countless photos of family events and events that were later posted. “I continually saw the greatest moments I shared with loved ones framed in our home, colorless time capsules that I would look back to for years to come,” the artist says. “I began to feel a deep desire to recreate these sorts of time capsules in my work, but I wanted to incorporate scenes that weren’t happening in this world.”
Mimicking the lighting and tonal contrasts of his mother’s images, Schrekinger’s renderings merge exact anatomy with the otherworldly. While many of its scenes are supernatural – a pangolin wraps its long, scaly tail around a fox’s torso, seabirds perch on the winding arms of a squid, and a flock of hares appear to float overhead – the animals are depicted under demanding conditions. the details and likeness of their fur, feathers, and tentacles are the result of extensive research. “I have traveled along the East and West Coasts of the United States, taking my own reference photos of birds, aquatic life, ocean environments, trees and much more, which end up being used as starting point in my work,” she tells Colossal, noting that when it’s impossible to use her own images, she puts five to ten photos together to create a specific form.
“Peter the pangolin and fable the red fox of the sierra nevada”
Most of the animals featured in Schrekinger’s work are either endangered or vulnerable, and she worries about environmental destruction, habitat loss, and the threat many species face as they grow. the world is warming and the climate is changing. Pangolins, for example, are considered the most trafficked non-human mammal, while the North Atlantic right whale is one of the most endangered species, with fewer than 350 worldwide. “Above all, I think the most important aspect of what I do is raising awareness about endangered and vulnerable species,” she says. “I feel it is my duty to use my art to promote an awareness in our society of the serious issues facing those who have no voice.” In recent years, she has collaborated with many conservation organizations such as the Pangeaseed and Surfrider foundations, to create works advocating greater protection.
Schrekinger, whose studio is in Amityville, New York, is involved in several group exhibitions in the coming months, including Existential on view through May 21 at Antler Gallery in Portland and upcoming exhibitions with Modern Eden Gallery, Stranger Factory Gallery and Nucleus Portland. She is also preparing a solo exhibition which will open in October at Arch Enemy Arts. You can find originals and prints on her site, and follow her latest works on Instagram. (via Beautiful Bizarre)
“William and the Seabirds”
Left: “Clara”. Right: “Hamlin”
“Oscar’s Lighthouse”
“Vasey the Vampire Squid and His Haunted Ship”
Left: “Horton”. Right: “Willy”
“Oscar and the Seagulls”
#animals #graphite #ink #Juliet Schrekinger #surreal
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