The Ursas by Jen Lewin. Photo by Mattias Löw @ml_docphotography, Burning Man 2023
The Ursas by Jen Lewin. Photo by Mattias Löw @ml_docphotography, Burning Man 2023
The Ursas by Jen Lewin. Photo by Mattias Löw @ml_docphotography, Burning Man 23
The Ursas by Jen Lewin. Photo by Mattias Löw @ml_docphotography, Burning Man 2023
The Ursas by Jen Lewin, Photo by Matt Emmi. Burning Man 2023
The Ursas by Jen Lewin. Photo by Matt Emmi, Burning Man 2023
The Ursas by Jen Lewin. Photo by Matt Emmi, Burning Man 2023
 
The Ursas by Jen Lewin, Photo by Lindsay Simon. Burning Man 2023
 
The Ursas by Jen Lewin, Photo by Matt Emmi. Burning Man 2023
The Ursas by Jen Lewin. Photo by Matt Emmi, Burning Man 2023
The Ursas by Jen Lewin, Photo by Matt Emmi. Burning Man 2023
The Ursas by Jen Lewin. Photo by Mattias Löw @ml_docphotography, Burning Man 2023
The Ursas by Jen Lewin.  Burning Man 2023
 
The Ursas by Jen Lewin. Photo by Mattias Löw @ml_docphotography, Burning Man 2023
The Ursas by Jen Lewin. Photo by Mattias Löw @ml_docphotography, Burning Man 2023
Lewin, Extinct Animal Series, Photo by Jen Lewin
 
The Ursas by Jen Lewin. Photo by Mattias Löw @ml_docphotography, Burning Man 2023
The Ursas by Jen Lewin. Photo by Mattias Löw @ml_docphotography, Burning Man 2023
The Ursas by Jen Lewin. Photo by Mattias Löw @ml_docphotography, Burning Man 2023
The Ursas by Jen Lewin. Photo by Mattias Löw @ml_docphotography, Burning Man 2023
Installing Ursa Minor, Jen Lewin 2023
 
Installing Ursa Major, Photo by Jen Lewin 2023
 
 
 

The Ursas –  2023

The  “The Ursas” is a new transformative project inspired by the grace and wonder of the Ursa Minor and Ursa Major constellations.

Unveiled on the playa in 2022, Ursa Minor stands at 13 feet tall, a luminous embodiment of serenity crafted from Infinity Mirrors. This free-standing sculpture invites contemplation and engages viewers with its delicate choreography of infinity-reflected LED lights. Inspired by the celestial splendor of Polaris and Ursa Minor, the sculpture’s multi-paneled body emanates a radiant glow, evoking emotions of awe, reverence, and a gentle reminder to cherish the world around us by simply looking up.

Standing nearby, and created from reclaimed ocean plastic trash, Ursa Major stands towering at 30 feet. In a display of contemplation, Ursa Major’s hollow body becomes a vessel for glowing infinity mirrors, reflecting an ethereal mosaic of vintage biological drawings depicting animals that have vanished from our world within the past five years.

Together, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor stand as beacons of unity and compassion. 
Ursa Minor gazes skyward, embodying a hopeful spirit, while Ursa Major serves as both a sanctuary and a memorial, paying homage to the irreplaceable species we have lost.
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Extinct Animal Series
‘Ursa Major’ goes beyond art; it’s a heartfelt tribute to lost species. We invite you to step inside and immerse yourself in the interplay of light, shadow, and reflection in honor of our our planet’s delicate biodiversity. The Womb of Ursa Major 51 features custom infinity mirrored panels, each with detailed vintage biological illustrations of animals listed on the IUCN red list for declared extinct species over the last 5 years.

The Ursas by Jen Lewin. Photo by Mattias Löw @ml_docphotography, Burning Man 2023

Extinct Animals Located in Ursa Majors Womb:

CEN1 Bermuda Saw-whet Owl
LA1 Lake Lanao Freshwater Fish (Barbodes amarus)
LA2 Mountain mist frog (Litoria nyakalensis)
LA3 Percy Island Flying Fox
LA4 Carolina Parakeet
LA5 Bermuda Hawk
LB1 Mauritius Duck
LB2 Ship Sturgeon
LB3 Large Samoan Flying Fox
LB4 Eastwood’s Longtailed Seps
LB5 Canarian Oystercatcher
LC1 Round Island Burrowing Boa
LC2 Green Blossom Pearly Mussel
LC3 Sharp-snouted day frog (Taudactylus acutirostris)
LC4 Maui Nukupu’u
LC5 Great Auk

LD1 Moorean Viviparous Tree Snail
LD2 Upland Combshell Mussel
LD3 Slender-billed Grackle
LD4 Bachman’s Warbler
LD5 Brace’s Emerald
LE1 Tonga Ground Skink
LE2 Barbodes katolo
LE3 Polynesian Tree Snail
LE4 Bermuda Towhee
LE5 Bermuda Flicker
RA1 Lake Sidi Ali Trout
RA2 Large Sloth Lemur
RA3 Lord Howe Long-eared Bat
RA4 Pinta Giant Tortoise
RA5 Large Kauai Thrush
RB1 Giant Atlas Barbel
LRB2 Guadeloupe Parakeet

RB3 Small Samoan Flying Fox
RB4 Western Black Rhinoceros
RB5 Guadalupe Caracara |
RC1 Flat Pig-Toe Mussel
RC2 Jamaican Monkey
RC3 Guam Flying Fox
RC4 Kauai Nukupuu
RC5 Ivory Billed Woodpecker
RD1 Poecilobothrus majesticus
RD2 Stirrup Shell Mussel
RD3 Luciobarbus nasus
RD4 Caribbean Emerald
RD5 Partula lutea
RE1 Rodrigues’ Day Gecko
RE2 Hofstetter’s Worm Snake
RE3 Chott el Djerid barbel (Luciobarbus antinorii)
RE4 Günther’s Dwarf Burrowing Skink
RE5 Molokai Creeper (Kākāwahie)

Sustainable Artistry
Crafted from reclaimed ocean plastic trash, the work underscores the importance of environmental consciousness. Ursa Major’s outer skin panels are made of reclaimed ocean plastic reused from Jen Lewin Studios “The Last Ocean”. These panels are 40% Ocean Bound Plastic, 33% Post Consumer Plastic, 14% Beach Collected Plastic and 13% Ocean Collected Plastic. The Ursas are part of Lewin’s recent Extinct Animal Series including Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, In Flight, and Pileus all of which honor recent extinct or highly endangered species.

Grants, Awards & exhibits

EXHIBITIONS
2023 – Burning Man Honorarium, The Ursas,  Black Rock City, NV

© Copyright Jen Lewin Studio, all rights reserved.    

© Copyright Jen Lewin Studio, all rights reserved.