Michael Shepherd, The Disasters of War (Deaf like Goya), 2023. Photo credit: Mark Smith
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Amongst the many things that we know, yet often fail to recognise, the real consequences of war on the populace are frequently buried beneath political discourse or bold statements of heroism and intent.
Akin to Goya, who cut straight through this in his series, The Disasters of War, Michael Shepherd’s latest works show the silent reality faced by New Zealand’s threatened flora. Many endangered species, like Olearia adenocarpa, Carmichaelia muritai, Myosotis brevis and Poa spania endure in small, often highly modified fragments that sit firmly outside the public view (and imagination). This series is a rare example of an artist taking aim at the anonymity that represents one of conservation’s major quandaries.
Amongst the many things that we know, yet often fail to recognise, the real consequences of war on the populace are frequently buried beneath political discourse or bold statements of heroism and intent.
Akin to Goya, who cut straight through this in his series, The Disasters of War, Michael Shepherd’s latest works show the silent reality faced by New Zealand’s threatened flora. Many endangered species, like Olearia adenocarpa, Carmichaelia muritai, Myosotis brevis and Poa spania endure in small, often highly modified fragments that sit firmly outside the public view (and imagination). This series is a rare example of an artist taking aim at the anonymity that represents one of conservation’s major quandaries.
