Caylin Jayde

Agriculture and urbanization have greatly affected the ecosystem of Iowa, fragmenting its prairies and woodlands. This loss of habitat has created harsh conditions for many native species struggling to survive. I often think of Bierstadt’s The Last of the Buffalo when encountering what is left of the natural Iowan landscape. With these paintings I admire the beauty of Iowa’s wildlife, while grieving their loss in number.

About the residency:

As the 2019 Visiting Artist for the Hartman Reserve Nature Center, Caylin Jayde pursued her interest in the local ecosystem by researching endangered species found in Black Hawk County. She worked with the Black Hawk Wildlife Rehabilitation Project, the UNI Museum, biologists, and naturalists across the Midwest to learn more about endangered species. This series, Extirpations in the Anthropocene, following her series, Invasions in the Anthropocene, depicts creatures isolated and threatened by their diminishing habitats.

There are few ecosystems on Earth that are as diverse, yet devastatingly diminished as the Iowan prairie. Human travel and agriculture have introduced many insect species to the native habitat. I focus on various types of beetles, such as the Japanese beetle, which are some of the most prominent and destructive invasive species in this area. My interest has been in the strange beauty that occurs when these beetles gather, as well as the gruesome devastation they leave behind. While these organisms appear harmless to most, they are rapidly unbalancing the ecosystem. This ultimately disrupts the food chain, tampering with the growth of plant life and limiting pollination. I paint the beetles to enhance their beauty and size to draw attention to them, but also underline the immense impact of their presence. I use negative space to isolate the figures and to contemplate the concept of absence in nature. In observing these invasions, I reflect upon our own overpopulation, mass consumption, and ecological impact as a species.