SUBMISSION: The Simple Beauty of the Orangutan by Alison Irving

ENDANGERED: Fine Art & Photography Contest 2017 Submission.

The Simple Beauty of the Orangutan by Alison Irving. All Rights Reserved.

I think one of the most powerful things captured by the art4apes competition is the sheer beauty of these endangered animals in their natural habitat. I wanted my piece to bring a smile to the viewer's face and elicit a sense of familiarity in the movement of the orangutan. Currently, palm oil is the largest threat to the orangutan populations. To see an orangutan happy in an environment of its own is a reminder to the pain that we inflict on them through the expansion of palm oil production. I wanted to extend beyond a still image of an orangutan; I wanted there to be a sense of freedom and personality from the orangutan. Ultimately, we hold the fate of the orangutans' future in our hands, how can we possibly let such emotion-filled animals die innocently for our own greed? This piece is a reminder of the victim of our own doing.

More ENDANGERED: Art4Apes submissions on | Instagram | Twitter | Website