Endcount – Lily Perthuis & Joe Bramwell-Smith

Throughout history art strives for a higher purpose: challenging viewer preconceptions, making them question the very society they live in. More often than not, that higher purpose is some sort of abstract notion of the absurdity of life, met with more eye-rolling than appreciation. However, sometimes, in the most unexpected of places, an artistic idea can pop up and surprise, with its simple but poignant message.

Enter Endcount – an exciting collaboration between two Sydney-based artists, whose goal is to raise awareness of nature conservation and the plight of endangered species through beautiful art. Lily Perthuis and Joe Bramwell-Smith create artworks through keystrokes and brushstrokes, with each unique piece representing the total number of a certain species left in the wild. These include Asian elephants, Sumatran tigers, giant pandas, and many, many others.

For Bramwell-Smith the artwork is “about the fragility of some of these species and how close to the brink they are. To be able to display every single one of a given species in one image is surprising to a lot of people. Hopefully we’ll get people to think about the impact they are having and start making sustainable choices that will help protect these animals.” (LZ)

Until Apr 17, PIERMARQ, Suite 48, Jones Bay Wharf, Pyrmont, free, piermarq.com.au