Abstract
The study of how human cultures have historically perceived and responded to extinction
and ecological crises is underdeveloped, but the topic is of increasing interest due to the
Anthropocene’s causation of the Sixth Mass Extinction. This thesis focuses on the cultural
conceptualization of species extinction through artistic representation. Illustrative art of
extinct indigenous Aotearoa New Zealand faunal species (in this case the large and flightless
moa) are reflective of cultural narratives that influence public awareness and perceptions of
environmental ethics and cultural relations. This thesis explores sharing environmental
knowledge in an informal learning environment to expand the accessibility of information
related to localized and place-based anthropogenic extinction. Street art as a method of
science communication involves the translation of facts into a narrative meant to connect
with people’s values, beliefs, attitudes, awareness, and understanding. Using a practice-based
and practice-led conceptual framework, a large-scale original street art project was created
as a novel method of science communication with a goal to transform public space and
facilitate cultural memory of extinct indigenous animal species - primarily birds. A critical
reflection is offered, covering background motivations, research, and rationale for the
project’s process (tasks completed to create the street art), design (symbolic and visual
narrative choices) and reception (responses to the process and the completed art). Both the
collaborative implementation of the street art as well as the artwork itself resulted in positive
community dialogue, successfully contributing to cultural memory of extinct indigenous
fauna in a spatial-temporal context for environmental ethics.