On the Brink

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Painted as part ofPangeaseed : Seawalls Location: Churchill, Manitoba, Canada (Subarctic- Polar Bear Capital of the World)

For my piece, I have depicted two scenes, a local conservation officer from the town and a flurry of Polar bears and Arctic sleigh dogs. Poised to shoot cracker shells, the main tool to scare off bears, the uniform and stance of the officer allude to times of hunting and stand for human aggression. In this case, aggression utilized to protect both bears and humans alike. On the right side is a flurry of Polar bears and Arctic sleigh dogs, in the town of Churchill, there is an added tension due to one figure’s rearing practices attempting to save an overlooked species, the Canadian arctic sleigh dog. Put to the brink of extinction by the Canadian government, this animal, which for thousands of years ensured survival for the native populations in the north, is also at risk and together with the polar bears calls out amid extinction.

In the context of the town and specifically the recycling center where this mural was painted, the interaction between bears and conservation officers is extremely common and the reading of this piece becomes more specific. In the broader context and more central to the theme is the fact the image radiates outward from a division line. Instead of man vs nature here, it is two sides of the same coin. Both humans and endangered species are in a state of fight or flight. A heightened sense of emergency due to climate change and the long list of global issues place everything in a precarious position. In a town such as Churchill, the tensions are local but the story is global.

Aerosol + Latex on Concrete
2017

Photo Credit: Artist