Faces of AWNY: Gillie Schattner
Gillie Schattner is a talented Australian artist who has a number of public art sculptures in and around New York City in partnership with her husband Marc. Gillie shares with us her New York experience as an artist and tells us about her work advocating for rhino conservation.
This work led to the creation of The Last Three, a 17-foot-tall sculpture depicting the only three northern white rhinos left on the planet. Catch a glimpse of The Last Three at 2 Metrotech Center in Downtown Brooklyn where it is on display until the end of February 2019.
What do you say when people ask, “What do you do”? I say, “I’m an artist!” Marc and I have our own gallery in Sydney, and public art around the world. We have quite a lot of our statues here in New York actually! Our Paparazzi Dogs live in the Rockefeller Centre, and one of our most recent pieces installed in this amazing city is called The Table of Love, and can be found on Park Avenue. We Go Together is on display at the Nomo Soho Hotel. We’re best known for our characters Rabbitwoman and Dogman, who tell the autobiographical tale of two opposites becoming best friends and soul mates. Without a race, religion, or culture they represent the acceptance of all people as one! We are also avid conversationalists and wildlife obsessed. A lot of our artworks, sculptures, prints, paintings, home ware, and jewelry are tailored around spreading awareness about endangered animals, so that people can be empowered to save them!
Speaking of endangered animals, tell us about your sculpture, The Last Three Earlier this year, we installed a sculpture in Astor Place called The Last Three, which is now located at the Metrotech Center in Brooklyn. It features the last three Northern White Rhinos on the planet, Sudan, Najin, Fatu, who Marc and I met at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya last year. They’re the most gentle, kind and magnificent creatures on earth. It breaks my heart that their species is facing imminent extinction, and most of the world doesn’t even know about it! We created the 17-foot tall bronze artwork as a memorial to the Northern White Rhinos, so that their legacy could help save future species against rhino poaching. Now, everyone who sees the sculpture will have a connection to the Northern White Rhinos.