Left Gatekeeper Ibis
2006
Unframed, paper size: 28 in x 26 in
2-color, 2 plate Intaglio etching of the scarlet ibises that protect the gates to Paradise. This is a companion piece with the "Right Gatekeeper Ibis" etching and two 6 ft x 10 ft acrylic paintings called "Scarlet Ibis Group".
In ancient Egypt, scarlet ibises were worshipped as the guardians to the afterlife. Scarlet ibises were bread, embalmed, and placed in the tombs of the kings to ensure their entrance into Paradise.
Rhea visited the Caroni Swamp in Trinidad on 3 separate occasions with deliberate intent to view and study theses striking red birds. The Caroni Swamp is the largest area of mangrove in Trinidad and Tobago at approximately 40 square miles. It is home to an extensive variety of wildlife, including the silky anteater, the capybara, the tree boa, the spectacled caiman, the fiddler crab, and more than 180 species of birds, such as the blue heron, the snowy egret and, of course, the scarlet ibis. The scarlet ibis and these other species depend on their habitat for sustenance. Pollution, habitat loss, poaching, and the introduction of toxins such as from offshore oil drilling have contributed to the slow death of this paradise.
Exhibition history:
Beluga Press, Flight Paths at NW Mo St U., Fly Zone at The Wakeley Gallery at IWU, City of Normal Gov't in Trans Ctr, 3rd fl., personal collections
2006
Unframed, paper size: 28 in x 26 in
2-color, 2 plate Intaglio etching of the scarlet ibises that protect the gates to Paradise. This is a companion piece with the "Right Gatekeeper Ibis" etching and two 6 ft x 10 ft acrylic paintings called "Scarlet Ibis Group".
In ancient Egypt, scarlet ibises were worshipped as the guardians to the afterlife. Scarlet ibises were bread, embalmed, and placed in the tombs of the kings to ensure their entrance into Paradise.
Rhea visited the Caroni Swamp in Trinidad on 3 separate occasions with deliberate intent to view and study theses striking red birds. The Caroni Swamp is the largest area of mangrove in Trinidad and Tobago at approximately 40 square miles. It is home to an extensive variety of wildlife, including the silky anteater, the capybara, the tree boa, the spectacled caiman, the fiddler crab, and more than 180 species of birds, such as the blue heron, the snowy egret and, of course, the scarlet ibis. The scarlet ibis and these other species depend on their habitat for sustenance. Pollution, habitat loss, poaching, and the introduction of toxins such as from offshore oil drilling have contributed to the slow death of this paradise.
Exhibition history:
Beluga Press, Flight Paths at NW Mo St U., Fly Zone at The Wakeley Gallery at IWU, City of Normal Gov't in Trans Ctr, 3rd fl., personal collections