Isabella Kirkland documents Anthropocene with 17th-century Dutch painting techniques
Isabella Kirkland utilizes the techniques of 17th-century Dutch still life to create art that reflects on the Anthropocene. Her detailed portrayals showcase extinct, endangered, recovering, and invasive species, striving to capture the essence of organisms amid swift ecological shifts. The subjects include succulents in their natural environments and displays of preserved butterflies, chrysalises, and seashells, highlighting themes of scientific inquiry, human tendencies to collect, desires for preservation, and inadvertent damage to nature. Three large-scale paintings honor the historical connection between science and art, as well as Kirkland's journey as a self-taught artist. Originally from Connecticut, she attended the San Francisco Art Institute in the late 1970s, and her work is featured in prominent museum collections.
Key facts
- Isabella Kirkland uses 17th-century Dutch still life painting techniques.
- Her paintings explore the Anthropocene and document species.
- Subjects include extinct, endangered, recovering, and invasive species.
- Works feature succulents, preserved butterflies, chrysalises, and seashells.
- Themes include scientific study, collecting, preservation, and human impact on nature.
- Three monumental paintings celebrate the connection between science and art.
- Kirkland taught herself to paint.
- She was born in Connecticut and studied at the San Francisco Art Institute in the late 1970s.
- Her work is in major museum collections.
Entities
Artists
- Isabella Kirkland
Institutions
- San Francisco Art Institute
Locations
- Connecticut
- San Francisco