‘One has to be alone under the sky before everything falls into place and one finds his or her own place in the midst of it all. we have to have the humility to realise ourselves as part of nature.’ Thomas Merton (1915-1968).
My current work considers the need to reconnect with nature, it was born out of a personal realistion of my own growing disconnection.
Through this project I focus on the disciplines of sculpture, media installation and painting to encourage the viewer to consider their own relationship with the natural world.
Hand Sculpure.
‘Unmediated’
William Blake said ‘…but to the eyes of the man with imagination nature is imagination itself’ (1757-1827).
The work considers the unmediated experience of nature by including elements found along the near shoreline, I aim to draw attention to our need to physically reconnect and to be more attuned to our sensory selves.
I have been inspired by artists such as Frans Krajcberg whose own journey towards a more holistic nature centered life influenced his installation works.
T.V. Media Installation.
‘Mediation-a transposing of nature’
This installation was influenced by my Dissertation research concerning the impact of Mass Media which entices the individual into a passive role- a disengagement from reality. Situationist Guy Debord and artist Nam June Paiks both comment on how television encourages passivity.
William Irvine observes ‘We are suffering a kind of hypnosis, a cultural trance that prevents us from seeing things the way they really are.’ This echoes Jean Baudrillard theory of simulcra and hyperreality.
This piece points to a growing disconnection from nature. In Western society especially we tend to see ourselves as seperate from nature, viewing it as commodity. Yet as humans we are part of nature.
Research shows industrialised societies spend over 90% of life indoors and neglect many of our 54 senses due to this detrimental disconnection from nature. Industrialised societies thrive on capitalist consumer commodities and therefore we are increasingly alienated not only from other people but from nature also.
Paintings.
‘The Distant Horizon’ series.
Capturing elements of nature through paint.
Through the delicate balance of layering washes I was able to create interesting effects.
The works are based on the distant horizon that I feel speak of a sense of solace found in our encounter with nature. I have attempted to capture the essence of fragilility, sereninty and translucency within the works.
Through the scale, I have also attempted to convey a sense of sublimity, of the meeting of sky and sea,… the line on the distant horizon, which creates an awareness of space and equilibrium.
I was influenced by Georgia O’Keefe’s spatial awareness, and Peter Doig’s layering of washes that bleed or vertically run into one another, depicting the horizontal aspects within landscapes.
The works are also influenced by William.H. Davis’ poem on nature, which encourages us to ‘Stand and Stare.’ (1871-1940).
Through these works I attempt to alert and encourage the viewer to consider their own standing or alienation in relation to nature, aiming to further stimulate an active response- nature plays a fundemental role in our wellbeing.
