Wildlife art expert speaks Saturday at Desert Museum
by Larry Cox on Nov. 27, 2008, under Calendar, Local
More than 300 wildlife illustrations adorn the pages of David J. Wagner's "American Wildlife Art."
Tucsonans have a rare opportunity to meet one of the world’s foremost authorities on American wildlife illustrators.
Speaking from his home near Chicago, David J. Wagner, a leading wildlife art author, curator and lecturer, said he will discuss his new book, “American Wildlife Art,” at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum on Saturday.
“This is the perfect venue for showcasing wildlife artists and their artistry,” Wagner said. His book, which is a museum quality, oversized, 424-page volume, contains more than 300 illustrations and traces more than four centuries of wildlife art.
Although most Americans are familiar with the work of such heavy hitters as John James Audubon and Currier & Ives, Wagner points out that some of the lesser known artists are also extremely important.
“John White and Mark Catesby are two artists who documented the flora and fauna of the New World, giving Europeans their first glimpse of the natural wonders of the then sparsely settled continent,” Wagner said and added that he discovered many of these early artists when he began researching his Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota.
“I was amazed at the talent and scope of many of the pioneer illustrators and the more I documented their careers, the more intrigued I became,” he said.
Wagner points out that after the American Revolution, new artists surfaced including Alexander Wilson and, of course, one of the most famous of all, Audubon. In other words, as the country expanded, so did its art.
Conservationists also left their mark.
“John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt were both men concerned about conservation and together they promoted both wilderness preservation and the ethics of sportsmanship,” Wagner said. He is convinced that their early efforts helped define our present environmental concerns.
Some of the more contemporary artists documented in his book include Louis Agassiz Fuertes, who did book illustrations, dioramas, and murals; Carl Rungius, who developed a unique style and technique; and Roger Tory Peterson, who helped make bird-watching one of America’s favorite pastimes. The works of Robert Bateman, Bob Kuhn, Ray Harm and Kent Ullberg are also featured.
Wagner believes that that his new book appeals to collectors, conservationists and artists. It is must reading for everyone who appreciates wildlife and wildlife art.
“I tried to take four centuries of this popular genre, place the work of each artist in historical context, and make it accessible to readers, even readers who are only casually interested in this field of art,” Wagner said.
Wagner accomplishes that and much more. His book is more than just magnificent; it is essential. This writer predicts that a century from now when scholars want to educate themselves about wildlife art, this will be the work they will consult. It’s that good and that comprehensive. “American Wildlife Art” is an example of first-rate scholarship marked by even-handed prose, breathtaking illustrations and an accessibility that is to be celebrated. Simply put, “American Wildlife Art” is a joy.
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IF YOU GO
What: a book signing and discussion of “American Wildlife Art” (Marquand Books, $75)
When: 1:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, 2021 N. Kinney Road.
Price: museum admission: $13 adults, $4.25 ages 6-12, free for kids 5 and younger
Info: 883-1380, desertmuseum.org
