SOLO EXHIBITION: Penelope Gottlieb's Beautiful Manipulation of Classic Audubon Prints

If you thought hanging Audubon prints was too granny, you haven't seen the work of Penelope Gottlieb.

Gottlieb upends the historically familiar prints with her own embellishment of flowers and plant tendrils painted by her directly on top. She routes her depiction in scientific imagery and utilizes the same visual language as the pre-existing Audubon print that she is adorning. The end result is a certain duality where she literally breaths new life into the prints while at the same time seemingly suffocating the birds.

One doesn't know whether to find the images beautiful or upsetting. Perhaps they are both. Gottlieb calls the series, called "Invasive Species" and binds the birds in flowers and plant tendrils to express an ecological concern, stating that her "life’s work is to research and record the lost plants of this planet. Animal extinctions are big news, but people forget about the plants.”

Carduus nutans Artist: Penelope Gottlieb Date of Work: 2014 Dimensions: 60 x 40

All images from Heather James Gallery.

Art, Solo ExhibitionLynn ByrneOctober 21, 2014Audubon, John James Audubon, Penelope Gottlieb