A few years ago (LSS 15 12 20) we published a short blog in praise of the work of the great Zdenek Burian. Although he died in 1981, when it comes to Paleoartists he has always been our main, main man. So who can fill such eminent shoes, especially when the competition is so fierce?
We’d like to propose the work of Karen Carr as a starter. We’d like to tell you why we think her work is so good. Why it really does it for us. There’s just one snag. We have no training in art, criticism, and struggle to draw a dry roasted peanut from a bag, let alone hang out at the Slade School of Art. But we can point you to her website, to which we link here. [1] Obviously, we cannot reproduce directly here, for copyright reasons (the images at the top are stock) But we humbly beg you to pause over your coffee or tea and take a dive into Karen’s world. See ancient sharks in furious pursuit in some forgotten Devonian ocean. Delight as dinosaurs munch their way through a sunny Cretaceous landscape (and each other). Cringe at the unappealing table manners of our earliest ancestors as they too polish off a late lunch, squatted on the haunches of some unfortunate Deinotherium. Would a nice Cabernet Sauvignon have partnered that , chaps?
There cannot be a more abstract form of art than paleoart, for it depicts things that do not exist. Yet it screams for realism, depth and action. Above all, the good ones create worlds that are enticing , that you want to climb inside. Just like the great masters of the Renaissance or Baroque did in their landscapes. And by the way, anyone for Edward Hopper?. Yet Karen can do something they couldn’t. Animations. Our last tip is to watch as the ancient amphibian Eryops swims across the screen like a newt in a garden pond-it’s distant, distant great grandchild. Isn’t that worth just a couple of minutes away from Trump v Harris?
[1]https://www.karencarr.com/by-client.php?cl=88
#paleoart #karen carr #evolution #art
Learning, Science and Society 