“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but having new eyes” Marcel Proust
Introducing the C3 Series – Covid Constrained Compositions
I had intended this series to be a geological reflection of the Jurassic coast, referencing the Durdle Door. However, all I could think of was the enforced stasis we’re in and the inability to plan ahead due to the coronavirus pandemic. Restricted choice presents challenges to us as our physical interactions are limited and our daily routines have been curtailed. I felt I wanted to record these times.
Previous plagues such as the Black Death or 1918 influenza pandemic had huge ramifications for the world afterwards. The aftermath of this coronavirus pandemic will also see myriad changes, from personal adjustments to global shifts.
Behind all the suffering and disruption and economic hardship of the coronavirus pandemic, an even larger global crisis is lurking: climate change.
When the world stays home, the planet benefits. There’s nothing good about the coronavirus, but with a ban on non-essential travel and some countries in lockdown, we’re able to witness what happens to the Earth when we’re largely absent for the first time.
The first painting in the series represents the division between Hope and reality but also the consequences of reduced travelling whether locally or abroad. I enjoyed playing with the textures which subconsciously evolved into a reverse image of Cornish landscape, reflecting the reversal of our hopes to spend time there before Christmas.
