La Fabrique
Freelance Designer
GOLDEN SHOULDERED PARROT (SOLD)

Endcount

I’m the co-founder of an art / charity project called Endcount.

What is Endcount
@endcountproject

The name Endcount refers to the current total population of a species that is close to extinction. A number tending towards zero. Humans have had a dramatic impact to planet Earth. Our population has grown from 2 billion in 1927 to 7 billion today. Our rapidly growing demand for food, shelter, material goods and individual wealth comes at a huge cost to the environment and the creatures that share our planet with us. We have impacted some species so much that they now number fewer than 35 individuals left in the wild. Over 4000 species are classed as critically endangered and almost 6000 species are endangered.

Our mission

To bring attention to the human impact on the cohabitants of our planet by putting the message in a context that raises awareness and provokes conversation. Our first project was focused on key species threatened with extinction across the globe. We want to create beautiful and thought provoking art that changes the way people think about these problems. At the same time we want to raise the profile of charities working to save these species and to assist with fundraising for them.

Our story

Endcount is a collaboration between Aurelie Perthuis (Lily) and Joe Bramwell-Smith. We met whilst working at News.com.au where we were telling news stories in innovative ways through multimedia interactive content. In 2010 we started collaborating on an idea of Lily’s for an art project documenting threatened species and data. Lily wanted to create artworks using the numbers found on IUCN Redlist and other sources, She then approached Joe who was at that time a multimedia developer, to create an application. After discovering a mutual interest in the subject matter and compatible skills we sat down to work out how we could best get the message out there and Endcount was born.

The series

Our first initiative was a series of artworks that aim to highlight the declining numbers of certain famous endangered species through a mixture of fine art and data visualisation.

Series two is a deep dive into a specific group of beautiful endangered birds across Australia.

Each piece is a mix of code, print, canvas and paint that captures the extreme fragility of these creatures. Each artwork is a representation of the total number of remaining members of a given species ranging from a few hundred to a number of thousand in a specific time.

How we create the artwork

We started by building an app that we can use to create the base of the artwork. The app allows us to dynamically generate the current number of creatures in the wild. We then start by sketching the species to be reproduced in vector. Once the digital version is generated and then finished in Illustrator it is sent to the printer to come back as a paint-ready physical canvas which is then painted over to provide depth. The process combines research, fine art, code, digital art, printing and painting to create a totally unique representation of the species at risk.

Results

We did 2 major exhibitions with Piermarq gallery, sold about 17 paintings and original drawings worth $70K and gave parts to charities, we participated to Sydney festival organised by the Powerhouse museum, featured our work at WWF Sydney office, displayed our work near Jeff Koons sculptures, and worked with charities and campaigns such as #Rainforest2Reef and #BioPak with Kristin Canning.

We would like to thank Piermarq Gallery, all the buyers, friends, and family for their support

GOLDEN SHOULDERED PARROT (SOLD)

GOLDEN SHOULDERED PARROT (SOLD)

The #GoldenShoulderedparrot is endemic to southern and central Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia. Like most parrots it is brilliantly coloured, especially the male which is primarily turquoise with a salmon pink belly and bronze wings boasting a streak of bright yellow.

There are an estimated 3,750 breeding birds in the wild. This species is listed as Endangered as it has a very small, decreasing range, within which changes in the burning regime and the introduction of cattle to the region have resulted in a long-term population decline.

Yellow Chat (Sold)

Yellow Chat (Sold)

The Yellow Chat (Dawson) is approximately 11cm long and weights about 9gr. Plumage of breeding males is mainly yellow. This species is known only from Curtis Island, the Torilla Plain, and Fitzroy River Delta in Central Queensland. The total population is estimated at approximately 240 birds and it’s listed as critically endangered by the EPBC Act in Australia. Money went towards fba.org.au

Long-Billed Black Cockatoo (SOLD)

Long-Billed Black Cockatoo (SOLD)

Named after the French explorer Nicholas Baudin, the Baudin's black cockatoo or long- billed black cockatoo is endemic to Western Australia. It is found nowhere else in the world. It is listed as Critically Endangered (IUCN 2021) with a population decrease of 90% over the last three generations. a major threat to the survival of the glossy black-cockatoo is habitat loss – the clearing of casuarina trees in woodland areas and the loss of mature eucalypts for nest hollows.
The estimated population of the breeding adults is only 1,500 birds

Southern Cassowary (SOLD)

Southern Cassowary (SOLD)

The Southern Cassowary is one of Australia’s most imposing birds - large, colourful and flightless. It is the third tallest and second heaviest bird after the ostrich and emu. It is found only in dense tropical rainforest of North-East Queensland, also in Papua New Guinea and some surrounding islands. Continuing clearing and fragmentation of rainforest has reduced the numbers as perhaps as few as 2,200 birds

Western Ground Parrot (FOR SALE)

Western Ground Parrot (FOR SALE)

Price upon request

Western ground parrots are medium-sized, slim and mostly green parrots that are rarely seen because they spend most of their time on the ground. Bushfires in October and November 2015 burnt the majority of the birds’ known habitat, further threatening the species’ already uncertain future.
There are thought to be no more than 150 birds left in the wild :(

Part of the money will go towards western-ground-parrot.org.au