'PARADISE LOST' Print

This painting is unstretched and shipped in a tube, there is a generous border to allow for stretching and framing if required. The second painting in a series focusing on the Leuser Ecosystem which is one of the most ancient and life-rich ecosystems ever documented by science. It is the last place on Earth where Sumatran orangutans, elephants, tigers, rhinos and sunbears still roam the same habitat, a hotspot of biodiversity and among the most important areas of intact rainforest left in Southeast Asia. Industrial development for palm oil, pulp and paper plantations and mining continues to threaten the entire ecosystem, despite being technically protected under Indonesian national law. This work is part of the collection entitled 'Anima Mundi' which spotlights the intrinsic connection between all living things on the planet. This equitability of importance between all living organisms is underscored by challenging the usual hierarchy of foreground and background and giving equal significance in the compositions between figures, flora and fauna. The works are both allegorical and literal and simultaneously present a utopian and dystopian viewpoint. Self-portraits appear as ‘protector of the animals’ and environment, making up the majority of the canvas, but certain repeating themes are signifiers that in an otherwise halcyon landscape, all is not quite as it seems. The butterfly represents chaos theory and the idea that initial small changes may ultimately have profound effects, such as the extensive impact of climate change. Paint skins with printed text and photographic imagery showing graphic scenes of poaching are camouflaged into some paintings. The photographic images are difficult to pick out at first sight, but once noticed are hard to forget and have a multi-layered tactile aesthetic, presenting a surface optimism with a depth that concurrently speaks to much darker issues. Panels show camera phones detailing the impact of threats facing the natural world indicating indifference and detachment when viewed through a lens. These references to topical culture place the work directly in the present tense, yet the jungle paintings are simultaneously Rousseau inspired, reaching backwards into art history.

Print:Giclee on Fine Art Paper

Size:10 W x 10 H x 0.1 D in

Size with Frame:15.25 W x 15.25 H x 1.2 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.