Madison Bacon

Madison Bacon lives life with one foot in the conservation world and one foot in the art world. To them, it feels like two legs moving the same body. They’ve worked for conservation corps, the Forest Service and the National Park Service on a variety of projects including invasive species removal, biological monitoring, trail building and wildland firefighting. These roles have both connected them with purpose and led to new knowledge about gender and the body’s capabilities. Influenced by their work as a conservationist, Bacon’s art practice moves fluidly between painting, writing, animation, and, most passionately, comic-making. Their graphic narratives do not merely document nature, but also draw connections between nature and gender, the environment and public health, and climate change and what humans deem valuable.

Bacon holds a BFA in Fine Art from University of Delaware, and after years traveling the country for work, is now primarily based in Oregon. They have received support from numerous residencies, including Olympic National Park’s Terminus Project, The Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, and PLAYA’s Wildfire + Water: Artists and Scientists Collaborating for Change.