The Shadow of a Quiet Little Life
Graphite, cotton paper, erased residue, glass specimen bottle, brass and wood stand, museum specimen and video. (2025)
A toad begins to vanish, not in the wild, but from a drawing. A fragile act which mirrors ecological loss. What remains is a ghostly trace, a fragile imprint of what was; like the specimen of a once living animal. The erased shavings, collected in a specimen bottle to form a new record, the remains of an extinction.
Beside it is a preserved toad from the museum’s collection standing as a silent witness. Together, these elements speak of the role of humanities hand in documenting and erasing the natural world. The act of erasure, both literal and symbolic, underscores the fragility of what could be lost forever.
Erased in front of a live audience.

