Kat Parker

Discarded (Paradise Parrot) 2022
linocut and watercolour on book pages; unique state
Courtesy of the artist

Artist statement: 

Some extinctions are more popular than others. Most people know about the Tasmanian Tiger, but this is a Paradise Parrot.

Our obsession with beauty led to the extinction of this species in 1927. This alluring bird was captured by Europeans settlers to be kept in aviaries. The termite mounds that it called home were demolished. Invasion of Australia displaced First Peoples and changed regenerative fire regimes. Then the Parrot was no more.

This sculpture was created by layering second-hand fairytale book pages printed with a life-size linocut of the Paradise Parrot. The paper demonstrates the importance of repurposing materials and emphasises the extinct species’ connection to humanity.

Once a species is extinct, it is easy to dismiss, but don’t we, as the cause of its destruction, have a responsibility to keep the species alive through art and stories?