Martin King
Martin King
Tree of life, unsuccessful species 2021
etching, drypoint, chine collé, hand coloured; edition 2/3
Courtesy of the artist and Australian Galleries, Melbourne, and King Street Gallery, Sydney
Artist statement:
Tree of life, unsuccessful species is made up of 37 etchings of species of birds that, in some habitats, are under threat from various pressures. Visually it references museum avian displays of taxidermied birds. In an ironic twist, the tree on which the birds perch is constructed from human and avian skeletal remains.
A question is posed: which species is unsuccessful?