Mark Dion is an artist who utilizes art to raise awareness of important social topics such as environmentalism, ecology and ideas about nature. His role in the art world is essential to bringing people from the art community to the effort of global conservation of animals and nature. Dion grew up in New Bedford, Massachusetts, without any immediate access to any professional art. Finally, at the age of eighteen he was able to experience his first art exhibit. In 1985, he had finally left his art program with the knowledge and tools to create art, but was unsure on what to show to world with his newfound skills. Eventually, he chose to focus on areas that interested him when he was younger, which included environmentalism, ecology and nature
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He seeks to raise awareness on the issue through his work titled “Extinction series” (Fig 1.). One of the projects features several wooden crates with the name of major countries such as South Korea, North Yemen, Tokyo and Hong Kong directly on the creates. One of the crates are open and therein lies a severed rhinoceros head. The names on the crates implies that these countries are major importers of ivory and are responsible for the endangerment of the species. The issue of poaching is an important topic. The horns and tusks of these animals fetch a price higher than gold and desperate people to slaughter these animals in order to obtain it, thus leading it to its eventual extinction. An imbalance in nature is never a good thing. When an animal becomes extinct it causes the food it eats or eaten by to either overpopulate or under populate. This further disrupts the food chain and will lead to animals eating things not normally a part of their diet through desperation or overabundance of food. Dion has expressed that he feels this imbalance is a direct result of colonialism. It is imperative that humans find a balance between nature and the communities they create. Special attention should be paid to the development of these cities and town and habitat protection should be priority number
He seeks to raise awareness on the issue through his work titled “Extinction series” (Fig 1.). One of the projects features several wooden crates with the name of major countries such as South Korea, North Yemen, Tokyo and Hong Kong directly on the creates. One of the crates are open and therein lies a severed rhinoceros head. The names on the crates implies that these countries are major importers of ivory and are responsible for the endangerment of the species. The issue of poaching is an important topic. The horns and tusks of these animals fetch a price higher than gold and desperate people to slaughter these animals in order to obtain it, thus leading it to its eventual extinction. An imbalance in nature is never a good thing. When an animal becomes extinct it causes the food it eats or eaten by to either overpopulate or under populate. This further disrupts the food chain and will lead to animals eating things not normally a part of their diet through desperation or overabundance of food. Dion has expressed that he feels this imbalance is a direct result of colonialism. It is imperative that humans find a balance between nature and the communities they create. Special attention should be paid to the development of these cities and town and habitat protection should be priority number