The fourth art collaboration with ABUN on a plastic pollution theme ends with a sombre music video

ABUN Project #43 has produced 75 artworks on the theme of “Plastic Pollution”, poster design by Kitty Harvill

Artists and Biologists for Nature (ABUN) has contributed to the conservation of ACAP-listed species every year since 2020 by running an annual project where contributing artists produce artworks to mark World Albatross Day on 19 June. In the first three years some 500 artworks illustrating all 31 ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels have been created, using photographs made available by ACAP supporters to act as inspiration. This year’s project, ABUN’s 43rd, which ran from January to March, has been in support of the World Albatross Day theme for 2023 of “Plastic Pollution”. It has resulted in 75 stunning artworks by 31 artists, including several who produced more than one work. They will be used by ACAP to support ‘WAD2023’ until the actual day on 19 June.

The Rock Stars Challenge, collage by Kitty Harvill

The three-month collaboration with ABUN ended with a “weekend challenge” that used Hob Osterlund’s evocative photographs of close-to-fledging Laysan Albatross Phoebastria immutabilis chicks losing the last of their down, adding 13 paintings to the total (click here).

Music by John Nicolosi, design by Kitty Harvill

To round off the project, ABUN Co-founder Kitty Harvill has produced a collage poster depicting all 75 artworks (see above) and musician John Nicolosi of Niko Records Studio has created pro bono a sombre score entitled "Fidelity" for the music video put together by Kitty.

“Plastic Pollution” by Grisselle Chock, after a photograph by Cynthia Vanderlip

With grateful thanks to ABUN Co-founder Kitty Harvill, ABUN Administrator Marion Schön, musician John Nicolosi, and all the contributing ABUN artists, especially Andress Silva, Apple Resonance, Flávia Barreto, Grisselle Chock, Inge Eisenhauer, Shary Weckwerth and Snah, who each produced three or more artworks for Project #43.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 13 April 2023