Three Furies of the Anthropocene 2020
The Three Furies of the Anthropocene is a work experienced in degrees. Taken as a whole, the triptych of frescos has a maternal quality, each piece dominated by a female figure, serene and inviting. The colors are muted and earthy. Closer viewing begins to tease out darker elements. Canaries hint of danger, the women are clad in armor. In each fresco man skulks in the background, stripped of clothing and dignity. On further approach, movement and sound are triggered and the work becomes a multi-sensory experience.
The first fresco portrays a woman, representing Eve, whose torso encompasses a rotating orbit of the earth, so small and insignificant, as seen from the surface of the moon. In the background, the simultaneously melodic and discomfiting song of a castrato reminds us of the casual cruelties of mankind. A faint voice draws us to the central image and we lean in to hear a poem being recited. We are observed with wryness by the woman at its heart, perhaps for our reaction to the disturbing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels conveyed on its spinning wheel. In the third fresco, a woman beckons, whispering, enticing the viewer with a lollipop on which a series of disquieting questions are revealed by revolving layers.
These questions are among the many this triptych asks of the viewer.
My triptych, The Three Furies of the Anthropocene, incorporates a continuation of my use of the fresco technique with the immersive elements of sound and motion. I have long been drawn to fresco which, with its ancient roots and its singular ability to convey both durability and vulnerability, embodies the themes of my work.
A goal in my work as a whole is to pose uncomfortable questions about mankind and its destructive force â on the planet primarily, but also on humanity. I explore this by using images of nature â often contrasted with industry â and women as a lifeforce and a frequent victim.
The first fresco portrays a woman, representing Eve, whose torso encompasses a rotating orbit of the earth, so small and insignificant, as seen from the surface of the moon. In the background, the simultaneously melodic and discomfiting song of a castrato reminds us of the casual cruelties of mankind. A faint voice draws us to the central image and we lean in to hear a poem being recited. We are observed with wryness by the woman at its heart, perhaps for our reaction to the disturbing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels conveyed on its spinning wheel. In the third fresco, a woman beckons, whispering, enticing the viewer with a lollipop on which a series of disquieting questions are revealed by revolving layers.
These questions are among the many this triptych asks of the viewer.
My triptych, The Three Furies of the Anthropocene, incorporates a continuation of my use of the fresco technique with the immersive elements of sound and motion. I have long been drawn to fresco which, with its ancient roots and its singular ability to convey both durability and vulnerability, embodies the themes of my work.
A goal in my work as a whole is to pose uncomfortable questions about mankind and its destructive force â on the planet primarily, but also on humanity. I explore this by using images of nature â often contrasted with industry â and women as a lifeforce and a frequent victim.