Putting a face on the scope of species threatened with extinction, the latest exhibit from Venice’s G2 Galley is an exhaustive exhibit that features images of more than 300 individual critters and plant life that could go the way of the dodo and the passenger pigeon if we don’t watch out.
Showcasing the work of 30 renowned photographers, On the Brink is separated in three categories: species that have gone extinct, species that are nearly extinct, and species that have been successfully rehabilitated. G2 Gallery timed the exhibition to run on the 50th anniversary of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List which is the world’ most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species.
Of the 300 mammals, birds, corals, various plants and other life forms on display, there are some SoCal connections which, thankfully, fall into the rehabbed species: the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, the California brown pelican and the Santa Cruz Island fox.
Each photograph in the exhibit details the story behind the species, current or past threats, and its current status as designated by The IUCN Red List.
Conservative estimates claim the earth is losing at least 2,000 species every year, and more liberal claims often top 10,000.
A total of 21,286 out of 71,576 species assessed on the IUCN Red List are threatened with extinction, including one in four mammals, two in five amphibians, one in three warm reef building corals and one in eight birds.
On the Brink runs through June 8, 2014. Opening reception will be held on April 26 from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door and includes wine, hors d’oeuvres and complimentary valet in front of the gallery. All proceeds from admissions will be donated to The IUCN Red List. RSVP to rsvp@theg2gallery.com.
