"I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art that anybody could ever want to own." —Andy Warhol
Commissioned by gallerists and environmental philanthropists Ronald and Frayda Feldman, Andy Warhol turned his iconic pop sensibility toward the natural world, showcasing the lively nobility of ten animals listed in the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Alongside the African Elephant, Warhol depicted the Bald Eagle, Black Rhinoceros, Bighorn Ram, Giant Panda, Grévy’s Zebra, Orangutan, Pine Barrens Tree Frog, San Francisco Silverspot Butterfly, and Siberian Tiger. These vibrant images contrast the grim reality of the dwindling number of each species they represent. Describing the series, the National Museum of Wildlife Art wrote, “Warhol draws attention to the rarity of these animals and gives each the ‘star’ treatment.” Warhol utilized his easily digestible pop style to his advantage, drawing viewers into the work and creating a space for activism.
By placing these animals in the same spotlight he often reserved for celebrities, Warhol helped raise awareness of these endangered animals and funds to aid in their conservation. Warhol printed a special Roman numeral edition of the Endangered Species series aside from the regular edition of 150, which was gifted to wildlife conservation groups. The present example comes from the Galapagos Conservancy, Inc, who received the print in 1983 as a gift from the artist and Ronald Feldman Fine Art via the Smithsonian Institute. The organization is selling this work to aid their mission of protecting and restoring the Galápagos Islands, including over 2,000 species of animals found nowhere else on earth.
"Warhol employed the same silk-screening process that he used for his celebrity and pop art paintings – paintings that ask us to consider the commodification of fame. In an interesting twist, when Warhol applies this to endangered animals, animals most likely at risk because they sit in the crosshairs between profit and nature, the result is an acute awareness of what we stand to lose – if we don’t pay attention and act on behalf of the environment." —National Museum of Wildlife Art
