Fast fashion. Fast Destruction.
The subject of this painting has a serious gaze that contrasts with her careless actions that worsen climate change. The woman wears clothing with plastic bag sleeves in a style reminiscent of mid 1800s fashion, when the greenhouse effect was first introduced. The plastic bag sleeves trap and will eventually suffocate the goldfish that swim within them, just as humanity’s usage of plastic and fast fashion destroys life on Earth. The red space around the woman’s head evokes discomfort to reflect humanity's eventual destruction as a result of climate change. While painting, I noticed an ominous shadow cast across my piece by objects on a shelf near me. I painted the shadow as the background to express that the threat of climate change is a shadow looming over us. Unfortunately, like the shadow in the painting, concern for our planet has been reduced to the background as the world embraces consumerist priorities.
Acrylic on canvas, 36x24 inches, 2020