Roger Peet

Roger Peet
How Many Dead
$15

This piece was inspired by Josh and Icky's pieces which feature the same question. I really like that question, and wanted with this piece to bring it to bear on a broader ecological context. Specifically, the vultures of South Asia. South Asia's vultures have declined by a staggering 99% in the past ten years, due to the use of the anti-inflammatory drug Diclofenac in cattle. When Vultures eat dead cattle that have been treated with Diclofenac, they die rapidly from gout and renal failure. As usual this is a complex story, with surprising ramifications. India's herders typically leave their dead cattle alone, expecting them to be skeletonized by the vultures in short order. In the absence of vultures the population of wild dogs has exploded, and these rabid animals are biting people at a much higher rate. Numerous cases of anthrax in humans have been reported, again because of a lack of vultures to dispose of disease-ridden corpses. The Parsis, a small religious group who are forbidden by their beliefs from burying their dead, and have historically placed their corpses in "Towers of Silence" to be disposed of by vultures, have seen the bedrock of their ancient culture annihilated. Now they try to accelerate decomposition with mirrors. It seems that soon these beautiful, glorious, vital birds will be extinct, another victim of the accidental ecocide that humanity sows like so much poisoned grain.
Two background colors are available. Orange, as shown, and yellow.

Blockprint and stencil
11"x18"
Acid-free mulberry paper
Signed/numbered edition of 28