The Connection is Unstable
The Connection is Unstable 1
Acrylic and Oil paint on canvas 100 x 80cm |
The Connection is Unstable 2
Acrylic and Oil paint on canvas 100 x 80cm |
4 x Scrolls
Natural paint and Ash on Poplin Human size |
The other side of Scrolls
Natural paint and ash on Poplin Human size |
As the title 'The Connection is Unstable' suggests, Collection envisions an encrypted, virtual, technological world that is set in the Future. Without Animals as we know them, with grieving trees and plants in sorrowful lament, with increased population migration, near total habitat loss, pollution, wildfires and ever increasing human numbers is to name but a few of some of the current unfolding tragedies.
Connecting to the current version of our Planet in future is via nostalgic attempts to piece together what used to be in 2020/2021 and seeing in retrospect the opportunities as well as the losses.
This Collection explores our current world through the lens of a probable future, if we continue on current trajectories.
This proposal is underscored by humanity's profound need for deep connection to the natural world; like the Bushmen of South Africa, who had a close connection to everything around them. This Artwork is a peak in to the future, where the main 'connection' is technology, which is, in reality, a barrier to real connectedness. We, as a species, increasingly worry if our Zoom connection falters and the connection becomes 'unstable' and all whilst losing connection with everything that truly matters and feeds our inner humanity.
The theme of this Artwork has its origins in a Climate Change Art Residency to India; immediately before lockdown.
The 4 x scroll paintings were created there and are the first artworks in this new direction. Incidentally, the scrolls are two sided; each side is different and are photographed in the South Goan jungle, where they interact with the surrounding environment. The Art materials employed are natural and kind to the environment; such as Ash from the fire pits and Natural Paints such as Indigo and local Poplin cotton. Natural Paints due to their nature, fade over time and have a Natural lifespan. The imagery incorporates traces from the surrounding South Goan jungle flora, as well as traces of seashore flotsam and jetsam. The debris washed up by the Indian Ocean reflects the huge rubbish problem in India. Yet these scrolls are created with hope for preserving our Planet. The collection of 4 x scrolls is hung on Bamboo struts on Coconut string.
On return to UK, glimpses of Indian G..ds, whose identities are so embedded within the lives of many Indian people , started appearing in the paintings. Indian G..ds connect to the animal kingdom and therefore to endangered animals e.g. Durga is often depicted riding a Tiger and Ganesh is part Human and part Elephant. The close connections between Indian people and Nature, including animals, leads to question whether the G..ds will survive if these interlinked animals go extinct.
In an imagined future, the integrity of the images is disrupted and voided by the detritus of wasteful consumerism. It is like a graffiti of the future, where Mankind tries to remember what these animals were like and what it meant to lead a life where Human destiny is entwined with the Natural world in a life affirming way
However, hope is also present in these Artworks. Ash, for example, was used as a paint in scroll paintings and ash can fertilise and create new beginnings. Moreover, the act of creation itself requires a belief that positive change is still possible.
Connecting to the current version of our Planet in future is via nostalgic attempts to piece together what used to be in 2020/2021 and seeing in retrospect the opportunities as well as the losses.
This Collection explores our current world through the lens of a probable future, if we continue on current trajectories.
This proposal is underscored by humanity's profound need for deep connection to the natural world; like the Bushmen of South Africa, who had a close connection to everything around them. This Artwork is a peak in to the future, where the main 'connection' is technology, which is, in reality, a barrier to real connectedness. We, as a species, increasingly worry if our Zoom connection falters and the connection becomes 'unstable' and all whilst losing connection with everything that truly matters and feeds our inner humanity.
The theme of this Artwork has its origins in a Climate Change Art Residency to India; immediately before lockdown.
The 4 x scroll paintings were created there and are the first artworks in this new direction. Incidentally, the scrolls are two sided; each side is different and are photographed in the South Goan jungle, where they interact with the surrounding environment. The Art materials employed are natural and kind to the environment; such as Ash from the fire pits and Natural Paints such as Indigo and local Poplin cotton. Natural Paints due to their nature, fade over time and have a Natural lifespan. The imagery incorporates traces from the surrounding South Goan jungle flora, as well as traces of seashore flotsam and jetsam. The debris washed up by the Indian Ocean reflects the huge rubbish problem in India. Yet these scrolls are created with hope for preserving our Planet. The collection of 4 x scrolls is hung on Bamboo struts on Coconut string.
On return to UK, glimpses of Indian G..ds, whose identities are so embedded within the lives of many Indian people , started appearing in the paintings. Indian G..ds connect to the animal kingdom and therefore to endangered animals e.g. Durga is often depicted riding a Tiger and Ganesh is part Human and part Elephant. The close connections between Indian people and Nature, including animals, leads to question whether the G..ds will survive if these interlinked animals go extinct.
In an imagined future, the integrity of the images is disrupted and voided by the detritus of wasteful consumerism. It is like a graffiti of the future, where Mankind tries to remember what these animals were like and what it meant to lead a life where Human destiny is entwined with the Natural world in a life affirming way
However, hope is also present in these Artworks. Ash, for example, was used as a paint in scroll paintings and ash can fertilise and create new beginnings. Moreover, the act of creation itself requires a belief that positive change is still possible.