30" x 84". Oil and thread on canvas.
30" x 40". Oil and thread on canvas.
30" x 44". Oil and thread on canvas.
Artist statement: Drawing on the Romantic era ideals of the betterment of humans through "returning to nature", this diptych presents the contrasting forces of nature and industrialisation. On the left, lush layers of volcanoes, forest fires, tsunamis are interwoven with snarling dogs. This part speaks to the chaotic and powerful forces of nature. On the right, images of overgrowth -- bathrooms crumbling underneath vines, the ruins of civilisations that have fallen to time and nature -- are covered by a thin black glaze and three white figures, ballerinas. The calm, tranquil surface belies the destruction underneath. Tying both pieces together is white embroidery in the center, matching the pattern of the cosmic web, which is the distribution of all the light in the universe. This piece conveys a message of the passing of time and the eventual triumph of nature over industry.
Exhibited as part of Presence from 10/2/2018 to 12/2/2018 at Stanford Art Gallery, Stanford, CA.
