Golden-fronted Woodpecker by Juan Travieso

Painted: August 23, 2016

About the Bird: The range of the Golden-fronted Woodpecker stretches north from Central America and Mexico to meet that of its red-bellied relative in Texas, where it prefers the state’s dry, less densely forested areas. Audubon's climate model shows it disappearing from the Lone Star State during the breeding season if climate change continues apace. If warming is kept to 1.5 degrees Celsius, however, the bird may remain a common summer sight.

About the Artist: An artist based in Miami and New York, Juan Travieso transposes his work on endangered species with works relating to his own childhood and experiences growing up in Havana, Cuba. His art explores notions of impermanence and decay. Figures, whether human or animal, are broken up into spaces and forms much like 3-D models, speaking to both their temporality and transition into the digital age. “I chose this particular bird because of the awesome color patterns,” he says, “and I love the incredible natural sounds that woodpeckers make.”

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