Going, going...
Let the erasing begin!
This bear was drawn over 3 weeks. The drawing hung at my local library as part of a larger collection of my drawings and prints for the first two weeks in January. Today I took the drawing down and invited library patrons to begin erasing the bear.
His erasure mirrors the decline of species throughout the world, with wildlife numbers dropping 73% in just the past 50 years due to habitat loss from human industrial development and agriculture. With each erasure, the bear diminishes, just as habitats and species do in the face of our human activity.
The drawing has now become a collaborative work, one that visibly changes over time, mirroring the ongoing erosion of the natural world. It’s my hope that this act—both tactile and symbolic—will leave a lasting impression, sparking a sense of responsibility and urgency.
Update: the bear is fully erased as of January 27, 2025.
The original drawing is below.
Great idea, Elisabeth. Good way to give the audience a more tangible sense of what is happening.
Absolutely great drawing... beautiful. The erasure of which is a powerful, disturbing symbolic message. It made an impact on me.