ABSTRACT Art has long been seen as a way to illustrate conservation science for public outreach, especially to children. However, art has a greater role to play as a partner in interdisciplinary practice. Here we explore four examples where early-career conservationists have used the production of artwork inspired by contemporary art movements to engage critically and emotionally through the formalisms of art with conservation issues on the island of Tenerife. The authors suggest that the production of art by conservationists and as conservation (and vice versa) is key to learning to translate between art and science, leading to broader interdisciplinarity.