Final Major Project Carmarthen School of Art

a presence from the absence

Throughout the course, I have explored themes of ancient cultures, especially my own indigenous culture, family and the transference of knowledge. I am interested in how families and societies pass on their wisdom, normally in the form of story and myth.

I specifically want to influence what stories we tell because of the ecological crisis we face. I believe it is because of an unequal, resource heavy capitalist culture that we are seeing unprecedented habitat and consequently biodiversity loss. I am of the mindset now that every action counts, however seemingly small. I have been crafting a wildlife garden for around 7 or 8 years, it is as much an internal battle as a physical one as I observe my urge to keep everything ordered. I witness the feelings of shame I encounter in Winter when it no longer resembles a garden rather a piece of wasteland. But beneath the surface things are happening, soil alone teams with thousands of essential insect and bacterial life. It is this knowledge that I have been gaining through reading and observing that spurs me on.

I feel a pressing urgency and a responsibility as a fellow inhabitant on the planet to do whatever I can. This has led me to experiment with reusing painting surfaces, like offcuts of wood, old canvases and making my own oil paint, non toxic pigments mixed with walnut oil. It does have its limitations as a medium and I am still trying to work through this, finding it is influencing the content, texture, structure of the paintings.

Growing up in a household with scant resource has prepared me for living ecologically friendly, as in reusing, sourcing, problem solving, pushing through and it is this socialist type upbringing that I believe works for the planet as well as people. People had more time and it really was not about gaining more, more, more.

Infact, it was the freedom that this way of life engendered that enabled me to wander the surrounding countryside at a very young age. It is when I first encountered my friend Foxglove, it is a visceral memory and I knew even then that this foxglove I met was powerful.

In the next few blogs I will tell the stories of my plant encounters and also how important they are scientifically, spiritually and personally.