Deep Relation
Deep relation became the foundational concept behind my current body of work as I grappled with three questions:
Environmental landscapes: How can we understand the beauty of our environment alongside the pervasive existence of plastics and human-made materials?
Spiritual landscapes: How can we manage the emotional impact of extinction and collapse?
Social/cultural landscapes: How can we resist overconsumption, hyper-individualism, and an ecologically violent culture?
Right now, the answer is: DEEP RELATIONSHIP.
As far as the environment, it is critical for us to acknowledge both the existence of plastics and the abundance of life that still exists. When we deeply relate to our environment by getting to know our surroundings, deep mapping, learning the names of plants, observing the forest floor, etc., we are able to identify the abundance of life that exists even alongside ecological destruction. Deeply relating to the cycles of nature allows us to resist denial and embrace the possibility of a liveable future. By relating to both life and destruction, we connect with complexity, nuance, and entanglement. The paintings included in Deep Relation are all inspired by long and repeated immersive experiences with my local environment.
Deep Relation is also a personal and desperate search for solace in a crumbling world. There are reminders of extinction all around us. In manicured lawns and travel size shampoo bottles smashed by passing cars, in pale soils and in barren landscapes, the list continues. Joy does not come as easily during climate collapse, so we must grit our teeth and seek it. We must dig for it until we forget that our fingernails are caked in dirt. We must seek joy in the worst of times, especially in times like these when joy is disguised as cars and rings and sprawling lawns. And alas, joy and pleasure are our greatest strengths when it comes to taking action. The movement, details, and colors I use in Deep Relation bring me a lot of joy and I hope they bring you joy as well!
As for our social/cultural landscape, it is clear that Western/Imperial culture does not promote regenerative relationships. We must build a culture that embraces mutual dependency, reciprocal relationships, and ecological restoration. In order to do so, we can begin by deeply connecting to our whole selves, our communities, and our natural world. Bringing interconnection to the forefront of our thoughts and actions is a powerful way to challenge hyper-indivisualism and divisiveness. In my paintings, each element is in relationship with the others. The different objects and shapes overlap, dissolve or transform, reflect each other’s colors, and form a balanced composition. Further, the objects in my paintings are either natural, human-made, or somewhere in-between. The marks, forms, and objects resist binaries and categories by floating along a spectrum of human, plastic, plant, rock, spirit, symbol, and more.