David Buckley Borden is an artist in Boston whose day job is a landscape architect. So guess what animal fascinates him a lot? I learned about him in this great article from Boston Magazine. This work began with a 16th century woodcutting by Konrad Gessner, and basically has a Massachusetts shaped hole through it because – well look at the title:
Given how insane Massachusetts generally has been about beavers since the ’96 trapping law, I’m delighted to think they have a prominent artist who respects their contribution and boldly displays it in their galleries. (I guess every state gets the artists it deserves.) In case you don’t remember the original, here it is. I love how perfectly it represents the apparently epic bias that exists between beaver and otter. Otters are ‘cute’ and greeted with welcome banners. Even in 16th century woodcuttings, they bat their eye lashes and roll playfully in the water. They get gleeful articles in the SF Chronicle and Contra Costa Times celebrating their very existence.
Beavers are almost always seen as fierce trouble:
Speaking of which, a little otter was seen below the primary dam on Friday. He was busily eating something crunchy and looked very grateful for the habitat. Full disclosure: I may as well confess, I have a pillowcase with the Gessner beaver image. It gives me very courageous beaver dreams.
