The Anthropocene is characterized by human impact on Earth’s biology, climate, chemistry, and geology, which is leading to the sixth mass extinction. The increase in human activities such as industrialization and deforestation has reshaped habitat, redirected the evolutionary trajectory, and altered selection pressures for species all over the world. As a result of the Anthropocene, many species that were once well adapted and thriving, now face unprecedented threats to their survival. The use of visual art and detailed research in this thesis attempts to bridge a gap between scientific knowledge and the public, highlighting the urgent need for conservation, in a more accessible and engaging way. The focus on the history, threats, and outlook of Humpback Whales, Polar Bears, and Sumatran Orangutans, emphasizes the importance of understanding and addressing the multidimensional threats of the Anthropocene. The future of these animals, and other endangered species, depends on the world’s ability to immediately integrate effective conservation strategies and to inspire collective action towards preservation.

This thesis utilizes art to convey the research and findings on the endangerment of three species: Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaengliae), Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus), and Sumatran Orangutans (Pongo abelii). Through both words and visual art, this work makes the complex and daunting scientific issues of endangerment more accessible to grasp and visualize. Each species' historical threats, current status, and potential for recovery are explored in their associated artwork and the following paper. Despite enduring and partially recovering from historical threats, these species now face new challenges in the Anthropocene.

The artwork was created using gouache paints, cardboard, and the strategy of lenticular printing. Lenticular printing is a type of illusion that uses movement to alter one image into another. From either side of the artwork, a clear picture can be seen, but as the viewer moves from the one side of the artwork to the next, there is an indistinguishable mixture of elements from each side. This confusing perspective, which can be seen from looking at these artworks head on, is meant to represent the present. Elements from each side of the artwork can be recognized, but there is no clear picture, just as there is no clear future for these animals. Although the artworks, from head on, can feel overwhelming and confusing, there are slivers of colorful hope, which is true both figuratively and literally. The world is at a crucial intersection and must make intentional, collaborative, and effective decisions to protect or renounce the futures of these animals. There are two possible outcomes for each of these, and all, endangered animals which are represented by the paintings that can be seen from either side of the artwork. One side shows a bleak, yet probable, outlook. Instead of vibrant colors and valuable life, the viewer sees degraded habitat and threats to the focused organism. The other side is a colorful depiction of each endangered animal, which shows a possible and positive future outlook, which can be achieved, if their threats are managed and habitat conservation is prioritized. Here, the artworks and their transitions are displayed in gifs made in blender, from scans of the original paintings.  

Showcasing these issues through art is important to raise awareness and promote education about the state of the earth and its inhabitants in the Anthropocene. These topics are very heavy and hard to approach, often leading to exhaustion from continuously learning about the daunting symptoms of climate change, the possible ways the world could end, and the very real possibility of losing many beautiful and valued animals on earth as the inevitable end approaches. The magnitude of these issues often leads people to believe there is nothing to be done about the deteriorating world.

These artworks catch the attention of an audience by displaying animals with general existence value and continue to engage the viewer as they move to the other perspective. There is a clear message as viewers walk by, seeing these animals replaced with recognizable human activities that represent threats to their survival and emphasize how affected these species are by human use of their habitat. There is also a distinct choice the viewer makes to walk between either side, evoking emotions associated with each perspective and communicating that human society must choose which perspectives reflect the future. The artworks, supplemented by the scientific findings explained in this paper, in synchronicity, become a powerful tool to enhance understanding, provoke new thoughts, and inspire action.

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