This work titled “Our Green Home, Where Water Resides”, is a photograph print, depicting all the aspects of the natural environment, which the artist views as important to hold on, preserve and protect. Previous experimentations of mold growing has led to the cumulation of ideas in this work, observed in the juxtaposing of multiple subjects within the flour-mold sculpture into a scenic rainforest landscape in the mind of the artist. Besides being home to millions of species of flora and fauna, it is also houses the one element necessary to sustain life - water.
A prominent element within the rainforest, water goes beyond merely being a necessity for sustaining life to a medium creating beautiful sceneries. Waterfalls, rivers and mists, all clean natural forms of water, are being polluted as rainforests are cleared as man develops and advances. Much of what the rainforest provides us, medication, oxygen, nutrients all come from the flora and fauna within the rainforests, all of which require water as an integral component to thrive.
The belief that climate change caused by this deforestation is impossible to recover from is counteracted by the way the artist plays on the scale of his subjects. The photograph exercises a close up portrayal of what a rainforest mountainous landscape is, miniaturizing and seeing the breaded object not anymore as a decaying, dire situation, but, as a beautiful emergence of life, growth, as a counter-force against climate change, hinting at a resolution for this conflict. Water is here by, presented as a restoration resource, to heal our planet, going against the inevitable decadence, overconsumption and excessivism of capitalism.
The aperture and focus of the piece is pointed towards the “thick green vegetations”, highlighting the artist’s intention. A balance between light and dark, it depicts a mountainous landscape with light exposing its flour-baked cliffs. A blurred white waterfall surrounded by mist composed on the left hand of the photograph serves as an underlying, subtle portrayal of intentions and the artist’s appreciation of water through waterfalls and the rainforest. The back work of the piece, cultivation of mold in the flour sculpture, sees the artist baking the flour sculpture with a temperature 220 degrees celsius, over 40 minutes, leaving it to cool for 10 mins and peeling of bits and pieces to create pores; enabling the growth of molds. This growth is enhanced by the usage of corn syrup. The waiting period for cultivation of mold is 3 to 4 days under a dark environment. This piece developed under a period of 2 weeks, seeing a variety of colours, from veridian, black, whites and oranges. Having a strong stench is also part of the process, possibly could even be a gesture for the artist. The final part is of course the photographing of best angles, colours which the artist dearly considers as part of appreciative art. A selection is then made to conceptualize a suitable narrative for societal needs.
The photograph is 70 x 70 x 5 cm, to either be mounted onto a frame/ or to be frameless if the situation calls for it. For the frame, the artist proposes to use a black border frame, approximately 10-15 cm of border. The artist preference is without a frame, to have a clean slated look when the viewer steps into the gallery space, viewing a miniature, microscopic subject that has been exaggerated in size, creating an element of contrast and curiosity, as to what exactly are they are looking at. The artist would like to mention that this is an environmental series for nature, to not overlook the small, micro details of nature, while at the same time, displaying a mastery in aesthetics, that which is beautiful.
