Endangered and Overlooked; Challenging Views of Snakes, Salamanders, Frogs, and Turtles in NY State and the Larger United States and Transcending Constructs of Higher Importance of Aesthetically Appealing Animals in Conservation

Abstract

Like other forms of intolerance, the deep construction of the Other-- as in the case of the snake, the propagation of the image of it as enemy--can be addressed by depictions of the sheer beauty, broadening our range of experience with these creatures. It is my focus to in this way aid in overcoming to some extent the violence implicit in the construction of this Other, and to help others overcome it, thereby opening up a better conversation by the role of these creatures in the future of the planet. I wish to bring an artistic gesture to in part dismantle these constructions to reveal that the whole idea of their definitions as something non-essential to nature and our overall human experience is a lie, to help dismantle these artificial constructs, to question our cultural assumptions and their shape and reshape of nature.