Somerset Pelican
This linocut print is of a Dalmatian Pelican, but the Tor in the background tells you it's a 'Somerset Pelican'.
Pelicans were once native to the UK. Dalmatian pelican bones have been found in archaeological excavations in Glastonbury. They lived on the Somerset levels and in the fens of Cambridgeshire. Benedict MacDonald's book, 'Rebirding' looks at the possibility of reintroducing pelicans to Somerset.
Conservation needs to do more than keep things just as they are now. We need to restore things to the way they were in the past. Everyone remembers there used to be more insects, more birds, more everything, when they were young. But even then, the environment was depleted. We need to go further back, perhaps far enough that we are reintroducing creatures that seem entirely exotic to our eyes.
This print measures 30 x 40cm and is printed from multiple blocks, it is not a limited edition.
Ref no: N002
Price: £180