© 1983 Richard Sloan ...Science Art-Birds

Title: Something Old, Something Blue
Species: Blue-crowned Motmot (Momotus momota)
Artist: Richard Sloan (for further information, click on the artist's name)
Image size: 24" x 16"
Media: Acrylic on compsition board
Date: 1983
Private Collection

Richard Sloan brings us to the tropics: His narrative shows us that when we look hard at what we think is pristine nature, we often discover that there is some human history even there.

The visually arresting, sun-dappled Blue-crowned Motmots seem well-settled on their ropy perch but look ready to depart, if necessary. The off-kilter ruin offsets the vibrant, tentativeness of the birds, and compells us to look for clues about the failure of the culture that produced it.

Closer to home, Sloan left a record of many North American species, as well. His 42 habitat paintings for Arizona’s raptors, including this Harris’ Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus), exemplify Science Art, in its blend of aesthetics and accuracy.