Endangered Species by Andy Warhol

The third Friday of May is International Endangered Species Day. 

A day for you to celebrate conservation of our wildlife. To remind yourself of these truly amazing creatures through the lens of an artist.

Andy Warhol was aware of the dangers arising of human behavior for the environment and wildlife. Species at risk of extinction because of a sudden rapid decrease in their population or a loss of their critical habitat at the hands of man.

To show the world of his love for wildlife and to raise the awareness of animal extinction, in 1983 Warhol decided to create ‘Endangered Species’ series with his favorite technique, silkscreen printing. The series featured ten endangered animals from around the world: Siberian Tiger, San Francisco Silverspot Butterfly, Orangutan, Grevy’s Zebra, Black Rhino, Bighorn Ram, African Elephant, Pine Barrens Tree Frog, Giant Panda and Bald Eagle.

It’s been over 30 years since this series was created. Are these ten species still alive today?

Fortunately, some of these animals have been removed from endangered species list as their populations significantly increased. However, some of them still remain on the list. 

Orangutan and Black Rhino are the two species that we should be concernedabout. They are the most in this Endangered Species in Warhol’s series. Their status has been upgraded to ‘critically endangered’ due to the sharp decreasing of their numbers.

Although the African Elephant was reclassified as ‘vulnerable’ instead of ‘endangered’, its population is in sharp decline due to poaching by hunters for the international ivory trade.

In 1983, shortly after the artist has created the series, the Pine Barren Tree Frog was removed from the list of endangered species due to inaccurate data on the species. 

According to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), this iconic species of China has just been downgraded from ‘Endangered’ to ‘Vulnerable’ on the global list of species at risk of extinction with 17% rise in the population in the decade. 

In 2007, it was officially announced that the Bald Eagle was no longer ‘endangered’, or even ‘threatened’. Congratulations!

Andy Warhol: Pop Art exhibition opens on Thursday 12 August. It features the artworks of the Endangered Species series  – portfolio invitation cards signed by Andy Warhol. 

Get your early bird ticket now at https://www.ticketmelon.com/rivercitybangkok/andywarhol 

Show us your favorite animals! While you wait for this most expected exhibition, take part in #WarholandI. This is a great opportunity for you to create Warhol-inspired artwork. Share them on your social media with hashtags #WarholandI and #RiverCityBangkok until July 31. Who knows? You would be the first to attend our VIP session and exhibit your selected work here at River City Bangkok!