ENDANGERED: Fine Art & Photography Contest 2017 Winner.

Second Prize Winner: Fine Art – Congratulations to Susan Saladino for Vestige. All Rights Reserved.

I witnessed the demolition of a beautiful landscape, trees, insects, wildlife gone in a few hours. After the last giant tree fell and the bulldozers left, moved to tears I walked the silent property. The Sounds of Silence were deafening. Jays frantically circled their fallen nest. I gathered branches, proceeded to my studio sculpted a blindfolded form holding a small bird symbolic of all animal life. I hold the belief that a kinship exists with all life; that we are all connected. I observe human action as it moves between a celebration of animals and brutality towards them their suffering accepted. I pondered the state of our natural world, relationships we have with nonhuman animals and the environment. We need to steward our planet not destroy this spiritual living gift. Hunting, fishing, factory farming, destruction of habitat, pollution, human greed and indifference rain havoc on the planet; consequences are dire. Extinction is forever. This hurts my heart and embodies my artwork.

Congratulations Susan!

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