Extinction carousel - Dallas Rae

Size: 90 x 90 x 120 cm
Medium: Mixed media paper mache and wood sculpture
Year: 2023

Artwork Statement: This Carousel explores the emotional impact of the loss of wildlife in Australia. The impact of colonization has left Australia with a precarious legacy for it’s native flora and fauna.
In the original roman circus, animals of all varieties were killed in their thousands for the
entertainment of the masses. In the modern ‘circus’, humans assert their entitlement to
nature with a lack of recognition and protection for Australian species.,
Carousel depicts six Australian animals that are now extinct: the Thylacine, the Blue Tailed
Skink, The Kink Island Emu, The Toolache Wallaby, The Southern Day Frog as well as the
Lesser Bilby. These uniquely Australian animals are part of the large list of Australian
species that have become extinct in Australia since colonization and give Australia the
dubious distinction of having the highest rate of mammal extinctions in the world.