Statement
This is from a series of surreal landscapes, crafted to be reminiscent of the illustrated story of The Lorax by Dr Seuss – a lesson about greed and the environmental degradation which results from the endless accumulation of wealth.
The series encourages viewers to reflect on how we – particularly those of us embedded in Western capitalism – view the earth as something beautiful for our consumption, but how continual consumption will result in the destruction of the beauty we admire.
By linking my work back to a popular children’s story, I highlight the tensions of our contemporary world, where traditional markers of adulthood have shifted, leaving younger generations facing vast uncertainty. The desolate beauty of the landscape speaks to innocence lost and prompts viewers to ask themselves ‘What can I do differently to avoid this outcome?
Artist Bio
I grew up in rural Victoria, then spent more than fifteen years traveling, working and living all over the world. The experiences I gathered have informed my interest in social and environmental justice, and have led to my current undertaking of a Bachelor of International Studies at RMIT.
My experiences have inspired me to use art as a tool to fight complacency, leading me to produce works that encourage questions and help challenge the status quo. Through my work as an emerging artist, I aim to capture images that explore the beauty of humanity, but my work also delves into the harsh realities of our impact on the natural environment. As an artist living on stolen land, I attempt to address my part in the neo-liberal and neo-colonial systems that continue to have a detrimental impact on communities and the global environment.