James Prosek – författare

Works by Prosek and others are juxtaposed with natural objects in an illuminating interrogation of the artificial boundaries we create between art and natureAward-winning artist, writer, and naturalist James Prosek (b. 1975) has gained a worldwide following for his deep connection with the natural world, which serves as the basis for his art and numerous popular books. In this cross-disciplinary catalogue, Prosek poses the question, What is art and what is artifact—and to what extent do these distinctions matter? Drawing on the collections of the Yale University Art Gallery and the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, Prosek places man- and nature-made objects on equal footing aesthetically, suggesting that the distinction between them is not as vast as we may believe. In more than 150 full-color plates, objects such as a bird’s nest, dinosaur head, and cuneiform tablet are juxtaposed with Asian handscrolls, an African headdress, modern masterpieces, and more. Artists featured include Albrecht Dürer, Helen Frankenthaler, Vincent van Gogh, Barbara Hepworth, Pablo Picasso, and Jackson Pollock, as well as Prosek himself, whose works depict fish, birds, and endangered wildlife. Also included are an incisive essay by Edith Devaney and texts by Prosek that explore the magnificent productions of our wondrous interconnected world.Distributed for the Yale University Art GalleryExhibition Schedule:Yale University Art Gallery(February 14–June 7, 2020)

The trout of North America range from the Pacific to the Atlantic, and from the Arctic Circle to the Tropic of Cancer. With the passion of an angler and the stunning accuracy of a field scientist, artist James Prosek began painting all the varieties across the continent, inspired by John James Audubon s classic bird portraits. By the age of 20 he had journeyed thousands of miles through 49 states to depict all 70 subspecies of North American wild trout at least four times. Those works are now reproduced on this set of cards, detailing the diversity and brilliant range of colors in the species in vivid watercolors. On the back of each card is an engaging, informative description of that trout: its range, food, distinctive markings, and habitat. No other card deck shows all of the popular varieties, much less the rare, exotic, and in some cases extinct species, subspecies, and strains included in this comprehensive collection: char; Apache, Gila, and Mexican trout; rainbow, redband, and golden trout; cutthroat trout; brown trout; and Atlantic salmon. Each card offers the experience of standing in a clear stream with a seasoned guide at your side to explain what makes each trout special.

In 2021, Prosek traveled to the Texas Hill Country to understand the region s threatened prairie habitats, thus embarking on a project to explore the complex realities of contemporary American grasslands. Prosek s art is influenced by his science-based, firsthand fieldwork, with his handwritten notes often lining the margins. The book features his richly detailed watercolors and silhouettes of animals, plants, and habitats that reinforce the importance of the prairies as their own complete ecosystems as well as the boundaries that define them in the present day from fencerows to more subtle transitions that distinguish a native prairie from one with invasive grasses. Art lovers, students of American history, landscape architects, horticulturalists, environmentalists, and lovers of open spaces will enjoy adding this book to their libraries.