War in the land of true peace

These paintings are a direct result of my experience with changes in cities. I’ve seen the transformation of suburban residential areas and fields that were bursting with wooded landscapes and open plains into areas that are now desolate and polluted. Industries have trampled on farmer’s rights to create zones of unhealthy air, contaminated water and dead landscapes. Farmers complain of respiratory problems. The atmosphere is covered with smoke from factory chimneys. An area once full of voices has been muted. A lifeless city observes these changes in a haunting silence. I’ve selected acrylic on canvas as a medium of representation of this destruction. Each method of painting is a direct link to my observation of the conversion of the city. The coloured haze of the surroundings is evocative of the smothered city silenced by the smog. Dark coloured trickles through farms render visible the spread of contaminated water that has been drawn through dark lines. A hovering round form with black streaks depicts the bleak image of the city