Lynette K. Henderson

I am fascinated not only with the beautiful and varied shapes and patterns of animals, but also animal behavior and relationships, and how they manage to survive both inside and outside of human enclosures. The concepts of predator and prey usually attributed only to the animal world are also found within human nature. Unacknowledged as part of nature, humans tend to project themselves and their desired or imagined characteristics onto animals. Preserved in zoos, common to both rural and urban environments, the animals are considered by visitors to be either extraordinary, as pests or even despised rather than admirable, based on human perceptions/imaginings of the value of different species.  In some recent works I have focused on the vulnerability of animals and natural environments due to the threats of climate change, pollution and other contemporary environmental problems. I believe that these issues are the greatest concerns for humans and animals alike at this point in time.”