Paleoartist Mauricio Antón to speak on ‘Reconstructing Neanderthals’
JOHNSON CITY (March 6, 2020) – What did our ancient ancestors really look like?
Ever since the first skull of a Neanderthal was discovered over 150 years ago, anthropologists and artists have been working together to recreate the appearance and habits of our extinct relatives. Paleoanthropological reconstruction is one of the most demanding and potentially contentious fields within paleoart, requiring painstaking attention to anatomical detail and an awareness of the social and cultural implications of portraying extinct hominins.
For over three decades, world-renowned paleoartist Mauricio Antón has worked with leading paleoanthropologists, sometimes creating the first reconstructions of specimens and even species previously unknown to science.
Antón will introduce the basic concepts and techniques of paleoanthropological reconstruction in a free public lecture at East Tennessee State University on Tuesday, March 10, at 7 p.m. in the D.P. Culp University Center’s Martha Street Culp Auditorium. During his talk, he will also show examples of his work in the field and share some surprising behind-the-scenes details and stories.
Antón is in residence at ETSU this spring as the chairholder of the Wayne G. Basler Chair of Excellence for the Integration of the Arts, Rhetoric and Science.
During his time as the Basler Chairholder, he is co-teaching two courses with ETSU faculty: “Scientific Illustration in Natural History” through the Department of Art and Design and “Anatomy for the Paleoartist” in the Department of Geosciences. He is also part of a “living exhibit” at the ETSU Museum of Natural History this spring by working on paleoart projects in a laboratory visible to the public.
Antón, who hails from Spain and was raised in Venezuela, specializes in the scientific reconstruction of extinct life and is well-known for his influential paintings of early humans, extinct carnivores and other vertebrate fossil groups. He is also one of the world’s foremost experts on saber-toothed cats.
Classically trained in the fine arts, Antón became a paleoartist – and eventually a paleontologist – by traveling the world and not only drawing today’s animal species but also studying their anatomy and behavior and applying that scientific knowledge to species of the past.
Created in 1994, the Basler Chair of Excellence brings a variety of scholars to the community to broaden learning opportunities for ETSU students and the general public in the arts, humanities and science. It is named in honor of a longtime member of the ETSU Foundation who is a strong advocate of programs at the university and has a deep commitment to the liberal arts.
For more information, contact Dr. Blaine Schubert at 423-439-7883 or schubert@etsu.edu. For disability accommodations, call the ETSU Office of Disability Services at 423-439-8346.