The Island House, Nassau, Bahamas, October 9 – 11, 2019

An adaptation of a line from the Bahamian national anthem, To The Rising Sun, Bahamaland, focuses on the state of reef health and the role of the mangrove as protector of coastline and nursery to breeding marine species. Or does it cynically bear witness to our risen temperatures and the current climate crisis in our manmade Anthropocene?

The historical objectification of coral and the wonderment of under the sea is replaced by a full embrace of the reality with which the island nation is faced as the tension in these canvases relay a fracturing beauty: the northern islands having just experienced the devastation of a category 5 hurricane called Dorian. And all this is taking place in the here and now; albeit sooner than speculated.

Time sensitive imagery of aerial views of reefs dancing under the sun’s rhythm relate a tale of disrespect, conquest and shame. We have done this. Our momento will become that of a former observation of the vibrancy, differentiation and spectacle of nature from which we disassociated ourselves and pillaged.

In truth, we are as much of an accessory of the coral reef as the once teeming fish were; for on it and on them, we depend. According to the World Wildlife Fund, “Approximately three billion people in the world rely on both wild-caught and farmed seafood as their primary source of protein.” Further, ten percent of the world’s population depends on fisheries for their livelihoods.

In the paintings amorphous entities float freely within a disguised pool resembling Frutti di Mare: whilst, we wait, and scramble for solutions as our natural indemnity fails.

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