Gallery 2
Sally Mumford
21 May - 6 June 2021
Sally Mumfordβs exhibition aims to bring to the public attention Australiaβs extinction crisis, focusing on the many endangered birds that are listed under the threatened species laws for each state and territory.
It is a cited fact that Australia faces an extinction crisis. The Canberra Times stated in May 2019 that, β[t]he UN's 2019 Global Assessment into the state of biodiversity found that the current rate of extinction could fundamentally impact global life support systemsβ. The 2020 bushfires particularly highlighted this fact but more needs to be done to bring it to public attention. In an article in The Guardian (Feb 2018), John Woinarski, Professor of Conservation Biology, states, βFor scientists, conservationists, researchers and those in the broader environment community, the challenge of securing stronger protection and more funding for Australiaβs threatened flora and fauna is made tougher by the fact that much of the population does not realise that the wildlife the country prides itself on is in troubleβ.
At present there is a total of 143 endangered bird species listed under the threatened species legislation in each state and territory. This figure only includes Critically Endangered and Endangered birds and does not include Vulnerable and Near Threatened species.
In this exhibition each of these birds is represented on a 1:1 scale. The smaller birds are created as decals on recycled dinner plates, the medium ones on paper via printmaking techniques and the largest ones on cloth via stitching. Installation is on the floor, walls and ceiling to create an overwhelming effect for the viewer. With this immensity there is also a sense of vulnerability and loss. However, as the title suggests, In Plight, present tense, there is still opportunity to act.
Image: Courtesy of the artist