On the Ending of Species

"On the Ending of Species" An endling is the last known individual of a species or subspecies. Once the endling dies, the species becomes extinct, and extinction is forever.

On the Ending of Species is a photographic series portraying slow, meditative states, animals quietly observing the plight of the world, and upheavals wreaked by humanity during the Anthropocene. Each image is part of a larger narrative in which endangered species are the main protagonists. The photographs are a requiem to the great disappearance of the world’s animals, culminating in the image of a vast. graveyard of extinct and endangered species. In the photographs of the diving human-like frogs, the origin of marine life is linked to it´s impending collapse. Universal human symbolism is also present in the works, such as the anxious pangoline wandering around with a black cloud hanging over its head, or the bandaged chimpanzee tethered to its small wheelchair.

In my artistry I build my worlds by hand, piece by piece for my photographs, paying meticulous attention to fine detail. My art often deals with themes such as the environmental crisis, memories, dreams, feelings of alienation and the relentless passage of time.

Helena Blomqvist