Aleece Richardson
Maitland Grossmann High School
LAST CHAPTER
Collection of Work
Oil on wood
Last Chapter explores the heavy effects of consumerist society on evolution and the natural environment. In today’s world there is constant debate about climate change and the effects of modern society upon the natural world. In my body of work I represent the path of human history and its current trajectory, through the environments that supported this journey of human evolution, into a dark and unnerving environment shaped by today’s society.
My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Alice Blanch, Philip Wolfhagen, Alison Moritsugu, Eugene von Guérard.
Marker's Commentary
Last Chapter is a highly refined and precisely curated collection of works investigating the effects of human invention on the natural environment. There is a deliberate placement of the adjoining and meticulously painted panels, connecting the horizon line across the series which evokes references to timelines, while emphasizing the ebb and flow of the human dominance of the planet. The panels also inform and contextualise the three relief sculptures. The choice of bright rich colours enhance the power and dynamism of the undulating natural landscapes, where life began. This transforms into sombre tertiary tones, revealing desolate flat and sombre environments, a powerful impact of evolution and human intervention. The dense black smog in the final panel is an ominous reminder of the effects and impact of consumerism and climate change on our world. The poignant addition of the labelled carefully assembled found objects in the shallow box mounts reference museology. These objects and quotes not only represent extinction as a result of climate change and human evolution but also serve to remind us that we can no longer rely on documented past knowledge and ideals to fix our future.