In 2012 I exhibited Sanctuary at Heide MoMA and since then have done a lot of things besides reinterpreting historical imagery of flora and fauna. I have however, for some years wanted to reinterpret some vulnerable and/or endangered mammals. I’ve contemplated a Polar bear and a Koala and since the horrific bushfires of this summer, which have devastated our precious koala population, I’ve begun work on a large koala and joey portrait. The Austrian naturalist Ferdinand Bauer (who travelled to Australia with Matthew Flinders) made several exquisite drawings of koalas on his voyage to the continent in the early 1800’s. I’ve chosen to rework his watercolour drawings, one of which shows a mother with her joey on her back. To be consistent with several other recent works which are in an elliptical format, the Koala joey has been moved atop the mother, so that it peers from out between her ears. Below are the Bauer drawings (collection: Natural History Museum London, UK); my reinterpretation in photocopy and ink; the work in progress over 3 weeks to date. Thank you for visiting.