Animals, Plants and Afterimages: The Art and Science of Representing Extinction
ISBN: 9781805390671
Platform/Publisher: JSTOR / Berghahn Books
Digital rights: Users: unlimited; Printing: chapter; Download: chapter
Subjects: Biological Sciences ; Communication Studies ; Environmental Science ; sustainability-discipline;

The sixth mass extinction or Anthropocene extinction is one of the most pervasive issues of our time. Animals, Plants and Afterimages brings together leading scholars in the humanities and life sciences to explore how extinct species are represented in art and visual culture, with a special emphasis on museums. Engaging with celebrated cases of vanished species such as the quagga and the thylacine as well as less well-known examples of animals and plants, these essays explore how representations of recent and ancient extinctions help advance scientific understanding and speak to contemporary ecological and environmental concerns.


Valérie Bienvenue is a doctoral candidate in the Department of History of Art and Film Studies at the Université de Montréal. Her thesis critically examines human-equine relations through the prism of modern art and visual culture. Prior to her academic career, she worked for ten years in equestrian circles, including teaching bareback riding and rehabilitating horses suffering from physical and psychological trauma. She is the author of several articles and book chapters.

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