As the Wick Burns
Artist Statement
As the Wick Burns
"After Glow: As the Wick Burns" features a group of thirteen new paintings and drawings of floral still lifes reference both literal and metaphorical quotations of traditional European vanitas paintings, which have been recontextualized in contemporary environmentsWith this body of work, the subject matter alludes to the ecological impact by humanity on it’s landscape by its depiction of specific flora and fauna currently endangered in California.
Directly referencing the forms and functions of traditional European Vanitas painting, as a memento mori, a parallel is drawing to this traditional mode in a contemporary timeline. Existence, growth, decay, and death are all literally in a simultaneous process of flux in these works, and act as an essential reminder of the ecological changes in our environment.