Click on the photo to enlarge. The neighborhood just got a bit more wild. Local painter and mural artist Alex “Cabron” Forster is working on a new mural entitled “El Tigre” on a 17-foot-by-85-foot exterior wall at the office of Born Free USA on the corner of S and 12th streets in downtown Sacramento. The original, dramatic image of a tiger’s face looking between the bars of a cage was created by Cabron exclusively for Born Free USA, a leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation.
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“I chose to paint a tiger because it’s probably the most charismatic of all big cats, besides being an endangered species. Its unique pattern and partially closed eyes add character and mystique,” Cabron says. “The cage bars give it drama and lend a certain edge. It shows the issues Born Free USA addresses about captivity and cruelty, plus it signifies freedom in a poignant way. The tiger could be seen as behind the bars of a cage, or it’s the viewers who are imprisoned by their own ‘mental’ prison of their views on wildlife.”
Click on the photo to enlarge.Born Free USA has a rich history in Sacramento. It united with the Animal Protection Institute, which was established here in 1968 and had its headquarters in Sacramento for 39 years when it united with Born Free USA in 2007, and has owned the building at 1122 S St. since 1999.
“This mural packs a huge punch, combining the power of animals, art and sheer size to move people,” says Sharie Lesniak, Born Free USA’s creative director. “The art ‘works’ to bring attention to the issues facing captive and wild animals, in this case endangered tigers.
“There are more tigers held captive in people’s backyards in the U.S. than there are in the wild,” Lesniak adds. “This is an issue Born Free USA works to address in states all over the country, and Cabron’s stunning artwork helps bring our message home, to our own neighborhood, for all wildlife, as a moving reminder to Keep Wildlife in the Wild.”
A Second Saturday “Off the Wall” mural opening event will be held on from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. on June 9 at the corner of S and 12th streets, in the parking lot in front of the “El Tigre” mural.
Born Free USA is a nationally recognized leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation. Through litigation, legislation and public education, Born Free USA leads vital campaigns against animals in entertainment, exotic “pets,” trapping and fur, and the destructive international wildlife trade. Born Free USA brings to the United States the message of “compassionate conservation” — the vision of the United Kingdom-based Born Free Foundation, established in 1984 by Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, stars of the iconic film “Born Free,” along with their son Will Travers, now chief executive officer of both organizations. Born Free’s mission is to end suffering of wild animals in captivity, conserve threatened and endangered species, and encourage compassionate conservation globally.
More at www.bornfreeusa.org; on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bornfreeusa; and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/BornFreeUSA.
Alex ‘Cabron’ Forster was born and raised in Vienna, Austria. After two years of studying anthropology, Tibetan language and journalism he took up international traveling and lived out of a backpack for a number of years. Cabron took many jobs along the way, finally committing to becoming an artist in 2001. He lives in Sacramento. Learn more at http://www.cabron.us/.
Media Contact: Sharie Lesniak, (916) 447-3085, ext. 217 or sharie@bornfreeusa.org.