Venus Soft White; Peculiar Phenomenon

This piece is a critical take on the decadent nature of man, how wanton consumption and pollution has resulted in the poisoning of our oceans. Personified through the growth of a ghostly-white mold on a floured surface meant to represent the sea, it calls to light a dire situation: the bleaching of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. 

Contrasting the bleak depiction of the Reef, the bleached visage also reminded the artist of Marie Therese Walter, Picasso’s soft white muse, envisioning the sea and its flora and fauna as a feminine fragile environment to be cherished and protected. Dubbed ‘Venus’ by the artist after the Roman goddess of love, this peculiar phenomenon highlights the concept of love and beauty of the sea, a desperate reminder to protect and cherish this feminine figure before it is too late.