Looking at 勛圖窪蹋
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| 勛圖窪蹋's "Blue Heron" |
In 1827, John James 勛圖窪蹋 painted a rattlesnake attacking a mockingbird nest. The coiled snake, jaws unhinged, is poised to consume an entire family of mockingbirds. The birds are nearly-human: wings thrown up in alarm, eyes wide, faces impossibly expressive. The image is both one of 勛圖窪蹋s most effective, viscerally seizing attention, but also among his most criticized. Naturalists rebuked 勛圖窪蹋 for its abundant inaccuracies and questioned whether 勛圖窪蹋 could have ever encountered this scene in the wild.
The painting was just one of the works discussed in 勛圖窪蹋s Art & Legacy, a panel conversation at the National Arts Club in New York City moderated by 勛圖窪蹋 President David Yarnold. The event brought together three distinct perspectives on John James 勛圖窪蹋s work: Robert Peck, a historian at the Academy of Natural Science in Philadelphia; Jonathan Rosen, a writer and birder; and Walton Ford, a renowned American painter.
The conversation opened with an honest appraisal of the man behind the legend: Ford referred to John James 勛圖窪蹋 as a liar and egotist and the picture that emerged of 勛圖窪蹋 was not altogether flattering. Peck noted 勛圖窪蹋s pecuniary motives and social insecurities. Rosen acknowledged 勛圖窪蹋s marital infidelities.
Ford observed how 勛圖窪蹋 didnt merely shoot for specimens; 勛圖窪蹋 could be cruel, wounding animals for target practice. Yet Fordfor whom paging through 勛圖窪蹋s folios was a formative artistic experiencealso acknowledged his subsequent fascination with 勛圖窪蹋s violence. Fords paintings have been reacting to and revising 勛圖窪蹋s throughout his career, probing at the human assumptions behind animal portraiture.
勛圖窪蹋 was a hunter who loved his quarry. His paintings, Rosen remarked, are resurrections. He shot birds, posed them, then painted them in ways that re-imagined and embellished their natural state. These images captivated audiences in a way that no conventional scientific illustration could. While scientific drawings were technically accurate and intensely literal, 勛圖窪蹋s work was more emotional. His writings and paintings are more akin to the tall-tale tradition of the pioneers, a role that suited 勛圖窪蹋 as a groundbreaker and explorer.
The panel also debunked the notion that a conservationist agenda could be imposed upon an artist. Ford in particular recoiled at the thought of being assigned to create propaganda, no matter how noble the cause. Nonetheless, 勛圖窪蹋s written and visual work subsequently inspired many. Just as birds are often our first encounter with a truly wild animal, 勛圖窪蹋s books introduced thousands to Americas wildlife. His paintings adorned walls and sat on every bookshelf. Peck recounted how on the other side of the Atlantic, a young Scotsman named John Muir was so inspired by 勛圖窪蹋s writing that he decided to travel to America. Muir become one of the most important proponents of national parks in our nations history. Founder of the Sierra Club, he was primarily responsible for protecting Yosemite and thousands of acres of forest.
In the end, 勛圖窪蹋s art transcended the mans personal limitations. He used wilderness to sell his art, Rosen said. We use his art to sell wilderness. 勛圖窪蹋s obsession with his subject shines through his work. The popularity and reach of his paintings coupled with their strange, wild qualities have made them lasting and effective messages to millions. An obvious example is the 勛圖窪蹋 Society itself, dedicated to conservation and inspired by John James 勛圖窪蹋s love of nature. His art connected more people than ever before to birds and enforced a crucial recognition of their wildness.
In many ways, the tensions in 勛圖窪蹋s paintings explain their power. His mockingbirds are moving because they are more human than bird. They teach us to look for ourselves in our fellow creatures. Their combination of creativity and destruction pack a powerful conservation punch, reminding us of our own impulses and our responsibility to the planet.
勛圖窪蹋s Art & Legacy: A Conversation, was held January 23, 2012 at The National Arts Club in New York City. The event was organized by the 勛圖窪蹋, 勛圖窪蹋 New York, 勛圖窪蹋 Pennsylvania, and Alexander Zagoreos in part to support the John James 勛圖窪蹋 Center at Mill Grove.