Call for Artists

Managing People not Wildlife

This series of photographs has been submitted to Creature Conserve for the upcoming exhibition:

Re-Imagining Conservation, An exhibition that invites creatives to imagine new solutions to conservation questions.

Artist Statement:

The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation is anthropocentric. It is based on the idea that nature needs to be tamed and wildlife needs to be controlled. As we destroy wildlife habitats, humans are increasingly coming into contact with nonhuman animals, labeling them a ‘nuisance’ when they take advantage of opportunities resulting from anthropogenic disturbances. 

But as humans, we are moral agents. Compassionate conservation asks us to respect the lives of nonhumans, recognizing them as individuals with their own lived experiences. We should ‘do no harm’ and strive for peaceful coexistence and inclusivity. But what could peaceful coexistence look like? 

As an anthrozoologist, artist, and educator, I believe that photography can foster empathy for nonhumans and can motivate us to take conservation action. Photography can also help us to visualize the moral theory of compassionate conservation, which is based in virtue ethics.

This series of photographs are in response to quotes collected during my anthrozoology research into human-wildlife conflict. Nonhumans have been photographed as part of a wildlife biodiversity project in Arizona. This study uses noninvasive trail cameras to capture wildlife living in an urban preserve. The images of nonhumans were then projected into urban environments where they have been sighted. The result is a series of photographs responding to the quotes and suggesting how, as humans, we can make small and deliberate changes to our behaviors. It is our responsibility to learn how to coexist with our wild neighbors, and together we can all make the world a better place for wildlife.