This post presents 6 recent works of art, 5 of which feature the California condor.
First are 2 paintings by Mary Cornish. From the 2009 edition of Birds in Art, this is titled “The Contender”:
Here’s how Cornish explained the painting’s title:
The coloring of the bird makes him appear to be beaten, bruised, and battered, similar to a pugilist or fighter. Ironically, California condors do not have vocal chords so they only make hissing and grunting noises, much like boxers.
From the 2008 edition of Birds in Art, this is “The Toll Taker”:
The artist explained:
The title derives from the etymology of the word scavenger, referencing ‘scavage’ or the toll collected from foreign merchants, which complements my impression of this bird and its ominous pose.
No title is given for the next work, by Gamini Ratnavira, which appeared on the cover of the September 1988 Zoonooz (the magazine of the Zoological Society of San Diego):
“Condor Portrait”, a work in pencil by John Perry Baumlin, appeared in Birds in Art 1989 published by the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum:
Baumlin offered these thoughts about this drawing:
A common but overlooked subject is often ripe with artistic possibilities. Such is the case with this condor, which is certainly not beautiful in the conventional sense. What attracted me was the swirling, rhythmic arrangement of its feathers, topped off by that preposterous bald head.
The last 2 works are by painter Richard Sloan. I am especially drawn to the soft colors and detailed feathers here:
The image above is from Richard L. Glinski’s The Raptors of Arizona, published by the University of Arizona Press in 1998.
Because I find Sloan’s work so appealing, I am including this last painting of Andean condors soaring over Machu Picchu. From the 2001 edition of Birds in Art, this is titled “El Espiritu de los Incas”:
There is, of course, much more art featuring the California condor available. What I show here and in other posts on this blog is what is available to me in publications or as prints or originals at a modest price. As explained on the Details page of this blog, I only show originals or prints that I own, images that appear in publications that I own (including books, magazines, exhibition catalogs, etc.), and images that are in the public domain.
For more California condor art, click the ART&CRAFT button under POST TOPICS (somewhere on this screen, exactly where depends on your device).
Pseudogryps 