By a Thread 2023 digital print on voile fabric, wood, 3D printed hardware

By a Thread is a celebration of the Endangered Species Act, the most effective environmental legislation for the past 50 years. Though few animals have been delisted, most species avoided extinction because of the legal protection. This collection of drawn plants and animals depicts every species ever federally listed as endangered under the ESA that resides or resided within a 30-mile radius of my studio on the unceded territory of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe.

Sample of drawings before printing on voile

Viewers are invited to gently sift through and touch the banners. The accompanying guide can assist in identifying species throughout the installation. The photographs referenced for the illustrations are sourced from the Creative Commons and often taken by citizen scientists. This guide credits the source image photographers with gratitude. The ESA has a history of embracing citizen science by allowing anyone to petition to list a species to the Fish and Wildlife Service. The illustrations were returned to the Creative Commons to increase accessibility and aid further study.

Once drawn, I print these illustrations on transparent fabric. Their ghostly presence shows their interconnected dependence. The shadow of the one before allows the next to be seen. Their unhemmed fabric leaves them vulnerable to unraveling.

Exhibition Guide: