The
drawings from this series were begun in the mid-1990s as symbolic narratives
or visual allegories in response to the ever-growing threat to the natural
environment through such events as chemical and oil spills, nuclear waste,
and ozone depletion. "For me," says Clint Brown, "a dead
bird can be a symbol for all of nature, just as one individual can symbolize
all of humanity. Henri Matisse once said, 'What I dream of is an art of
balance, of purity and serenity, devoid of troubling or depressing subject
matter, an art which could be . . . a soothing, calming influence on the
mind...'
"Although in other works I have shared Matisse's dream," Clint adds, "in these drawings I wanted to stir the mind rather than relax or calm it. I believe there are important issues that art can address, some of which are troubling some may even be a matter of life and death."