Desert Refraction 2024
200 x 200 cms
Tasmanian Oak Floating Frame
Mixed media: synthetic polymer / spray / micro sand / oil pastel
The desert reverberates with deadly heat. On the horizon, sheets of quenching rain pour down creating an ocean. In life we often see what we want to see…we see quenching rain when in truth, dishearteningly, it’s only raining sand.
Typically, I steer away from being literal in my work. In this piece, using micro sand as a medium to depict raining sand allows the viewer to experience the moment of disillusionment when upon closer study of the work they are struck with the realisation that the medium is in truth sand.
The message articulated in the work’s aesthetic, the vibrant colours of the top layer of the piece intentionally mislead the viewer and belie the anguish of its narrative.
