TED Talks Daily The beauty of wildlife — and an artistic call to protect it | Isabella Kirkland
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Jan 20, 2024 
Isabella Kirkland, an artist renowned for her evocative paintings, explores humanity's connection to nature and advocates for climate action. She describes her art as 'alarm clocks' for the environment, awakening us to ecological crises. Kirkland discusses her journey of depicting newly discovered species, merging traditional art with modern science. She emphasizes the urgency of protecting biodiversity, particularly in light of recent bird extinctions, and calls for collective action to preserve our planet's natural beauty for future generations.
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Palisades Painting
- Isabella Kirkland's painting, Palisades, depicts the wildlife once present along the Hudson River.
- Many of these species are now missing, highlighting the often unnoticed gradual changes in nature.
Artistic Process and Focus
- Kirkland's art explores humanity's relationship with nature, focusing on both what exists and what's been lost.
- Her creative process involves research, databases, and specific rules, taking months to complete a single painting.
Specimen Studies
- Kirkland uses natural history museums and studies specimens, like the extinct paradise parrots.
- Specimens serve as a genetic library and hold environmental data within their preserved remains.