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Memento Mori - Wasting Away

My current project is addressing our impact on the environment.  This series of works draw on the 17th century Dutch tradition of Memento Mori and Vanitas paintings, being designed to remind the viewer of their mortality and the futility of their vanities.

The first work is entitled Memento Mori 3 : Plastic Ocean; it focuses upon plastic pollution in our seas, which is breaking down and entering the food chain through micro plastics. The painting is mixed media; the labels on the bottle (750 years of purity) and the fish (a photo-shopped clothes label, adapted to read 1% polyester) are created with photo decals, the rest of the image is tempera on panel.

Memento Mori 3 : Plastic Ocean was awarded "The Painting Prize" at the 138th Annual Exhibition, Royal Ulster Academy in October 2019.

Memento Mori 4 : The Pollinators draws attention to the rapid loss of crucial pollinators, which has the potential to have a devastating impact on our food chain.

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