After Audubon; The American Jay, monoprint, (hand-altered inkjet print, size, ink and gouache on Stonehenge paper)
John James Audubon (1785-1851) spent a few years (1813-1820) in my hometown of Henderson, Kentucky. All of the lore surrounding those years spin a remarkable tale of a man driven by the desire to identify, illustrate and categorize the birds of America. There was a romantic aura about his persona-a multi-lingual backwoodsman who sought to marry the natural sciences and art…His quest was not without obstacles, however. Business failures punctuated his early career. At one point, two hundred of his drawings were destroyed by rats. He lost two children. His ventures in Henderson yielded little profit (he operated a mill and dabbled in mercantile exchange…ahem…including running whiskey) and at one point ended up in debtor’s prison. He did a few sketches in the seven years he lived in Henderson, but created his most famous works years after leaving. Audubon’s persistence is especially noteworthy. In addition to spearheading business ventures in order to support his ultimate goal (publishing a comprehensive illustrated ornithological guide), he taught drawing, dancing and fencing, and did steamboat murals and sign painting.* Worldwide recognition of his work is a source of pride for the people of Henderson. This piece recollects and reflects. Audubon’s story becomes a metaphor for the struggle to situate art in the wild ride of life…especially in a world so increasingly separated from the woodlands and river bottoms that captivated his lifelong passion.
*Blaugrund, A., Stebbins, T., (eds) (1993) John James Audubon, The Watercolors for The Birds of America, New York: Barnes and Noble Inc.