We’re Chasing Our Tail

Description

These two paintings, It’s a riddle wrapped in an enigma, who has a key?; and We’re chasing our tail, represent the antithesis to the philosophy that man’s “moral greatness” can control nature. Perhaps man can occasionally mediate or to repair damage made. Man can attempt or seek to control nature, through science, technology, sheer brute force, but at what cost to either upstream or downstream or both – in every sense.

The riddle quote is taken from Winston Churchill 1939 BBC broadcast said “I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest. That quote can be recast into many events subsequent to that date and is particularly pertinent today.

These paintings take their base from the time, in late 2020, that Saturn, Jupiter and the Moon were aligning during the end of Victoria’s second COVID19 lockdown. One night a solitary dark cloud streamed across the sky and seemingly consumed the Moon. Layered into this work is Carl Sagan’s words on humanity’s joint responsibility on seeing the 1990 image of Earth taken by Voyager 1, through the rings of Saturn: “To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly and compassionately with one another and to preserve and cherish this pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.” I whole-heartedly agree!