Animals in Art

Throughout the history of mankind, artistic images of animal life have maintained an important stature in human creative efforts. This is evident in works from the early Ice Age up to current, cutting edge contemporary artists. Ancient civilizations across the globe produced artifacts of many types that incorporated animal forms. Over time, western culture diminished the importance of animals in art, in favor of religious, landscape, figurative and abstract forms of creativity. Our contemporary world has brought a new appreciation for the animal life on our planet, through increased outdoor activities, leisure travel and the proliferation of information produced in print, film and television media.

Burian Mammoths

This exhibition presents animal artwork from the 19^th century to the present day. There are early illustrations by Alexander Wilson and John James Audubon, who traversed America seeking out the native animal life that Europeans had yet to see. Eugene A. Seguy was a French Entomologist who created beautifully-colored pochoir prints in the 1920s, using butterflies and other insects as design elements. Cleveland School artists Henry Keller and Paul Travis produced many works incorporating animal life. In the mid-fifties, William E. Scheele wrote and illustrated books that portrayed prehistoric animals and taught people how to pronounce their scientific names. This artistic exploration of prehistoric creatures continues into the present day, with artists like Mark Hallett, Doug Henderson, Mauricio Anton and John Gurche reaping the benefits of knowledge gained from new paleontological discoveries worldwide. Alaskan artist Ray Troll brings a whimsical attitude to his graphic work of aquatic animal life. Larry Isard, Mary Wawrtyko and Gary Spinosa all depict animals in their three dimensional artwork.