Treehouse

 2017, 15x31x15cm

Sculptural Oil Painting

 

Human relationships with nature are usually described as detrimental, destructive, selfish, and short-sighted. For the most part this is true (global warming, habitat destruction, and pollution are all the result of human interference); yet there is also optimism, a shred of hopefulness in the maelstrom of negativity, and it seems to mirror something I experienced as a child. We now have access to information and technology that betters our understanding of the natural world in ways we have never before experienced. Being a naturalist seems to be cool again: experiencing, documenting and learning about nature is hugely popular with adults and youngsters alike, and many parents consider outdoor activities essential to their children's upbringing. This incrementally symbolic work describes a childhood spent outdoors: finding a balance between environments both human and natural, the realization of relationships with the natural world, the importance of conservation, and the mistakes, achievements, and understandings reached, all learned from playing in the woods.