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Manitoulin
72" x 48"
acrylic on panel
2005
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Artist
Statement
In my paintings and related sculptures I depict how humans might rebuild society and culture after the end of industry. I synthesize two opposing hypotheses to create scenes that speak of the struggle and mystery of the human relationship to the rest of the natural world. One side of me is optimistic, and believes that with a clean slate and cautious determination we could avoid further ecological disaster. This is tempered by another view that fears that human greed and conflict is unavoidable. I use a personalized theory of bioregionalism— the notion that sustainability can be realized by redrafting society around the health of natural systems— to create the rules for which this world might exist. Each painting is based on a specific ‘ecoregion,’ an area of land defined not by a nation state but by ecology. These factors help me add a richly imagined specificity to my dream world. This project is a way of cross-examining my own ideals. Through the lens of my fears—violence, nationalism, and a vast uncertainty— I can debate the plausibility of my passions. I am thus forced to reckon with both the triumphs and pitfalls of the bright and cloudy future.
Contact
tarptarmac@gmail.com
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