Artwork Description
Judy Chicago – In Praise of Prairie Dogs
Dimensions: 22 x 18″ paper / 15 x 12.75″ plate
Year: 2019
Medium: lithograph
Edition: ed. 95
During the summer of 2019, feminist icon, artist, writer, and educator Judy Chicago was in the workshop collaborating with Master Printer Valpuri Remling on a special edition for the Collectors Club. The eleven-color lithograph she created brings attention to impending species extinction, and continues her extensive work in printmaking.
Chicago has spent her career bringing visibility to subjects that are not widely represented in the history of art. Now 80 years old, Chicago has achieved a new level of art celebrity status. She is utilizing this hard-earned platform to focus attention around species extinction.
“In Praise of Prairie Dogs” pays tribute to the North American prairie dog, which is experiencing a sharp population decline and currently listed as an endangered species. Chicago renders a pair of prairie dogs as they actually greet each other, in a kind of toothy kiss. Her finely drawn creatures float against a luminous green ground, achieved through three blend rolls and six runs through the press. “In Praise of Prairie Dogs” prompts us to consider the species’ important role in maintaining grassland habitats and biodiversity.