Rebecca Goodale

Black Racer

Black Racer, a three-dimensional fold book of hand-colored silkscreen prints, depicts a snake's slithering movement and propensity to hide. The “snake” lives in a black paper bag for safekeeping.

A Black Racer is an endangered Coluber constrictor snake. The curious snakes have excellent vision, and can grow to over 6 feet long. They have large eyes with round pupils and are fast moving and highly active during the day. Black Racers are sometimes seen raising their heads to the height of the grass to view what is around them. They eat rodents, frogs and lizards, and climb trees to eat bird eggs.

Press: Constructed by the Artist
Date: 2000
Number and Edition: 5 of 6
Size: 17” x 3”

Salix

As part of her Threatened and Endangered series, Salix is designed to hang in space like the flowing branches of a willow tree. The piece is composed of leaves from rare willow trees that are printed on the flag pages. The compound flag book structure includes the Latin names of willows printed on the flag leaves.

Artist Rebecca Goodale said: “Inside the front covers on the same side of the book you will see Latin and then the common names on the other end's paste down. For instance Salix interior is Sandbar willow. A botanist might recognize the leaves and be able to guess which are from which tree. The leaves of the eight different willows are printed on the flags. My intention was less didactic and more poetic. I wanted the rustling of the leaves (flags) and the drape of the book to echo the image of a willow tree.”

Press: Constructed by the Artist
Date: 2005
Number and Edition: 1 of 6
Size: 16” x 7”

Vernal Pool

Designed as an extended theater book, Vernal Pool features hand-colored silkscreen prints that slide away to reveal native blue salamanders. A vernal pool is a shallow, natural depression in level ground, with no permanent above-ground outlet that holds water seasonally. In Maine, where artist Rebecca Goodale lives and works, the vernal pools are the breeding habitat for four species.

Artist Rebecca Goodale said: “My research is multi-layered. I begin by talking to local naturalists, who are incredibly generous with their time and knowledge. I travel to labs and libraries in order to draw specimens. I walk off into the woods, grassland, and tidal riverbeds to see Maine’s rare species in their natural habitats.”

Press: Constructed by the Artist
Date: 2001
Number and Edition: 8 of 10
Size: 12.5” x 9”