Clair Robins
Evidence 1
Image 1 and 2 Did you visit this place? Our precious planet and todays population are currently paying a hard penalty to our continued neglect and blasé attitude towards Mother Nature. CO2 emissions, pollution, and ignorance to the climate crisis is talking its tole. But are we in a position to act further, be stronger as a nation and planet – listen, respond and respect the experts advice? This body of work is directly inspired by the experiments and findings of Eunice Foote (1819 –1888) conducted over 175 years ago. Eunice was an American scientist and women’s rights campaigner from New York. She is recognized to be the first person to record that changing the proportion of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would change the average atmospheric temperature – basically the impact of carbonic gas on our atmosphere (now known as carbon dioxide) and relationship to the greenhouse effect and climate changes. My images reflect and question her studies, they identify with our present, and possible future without action. Metaphors and symbolic still-life works are composed to question what we may lose. (Shall we take about Eunice?)
Image 3,4, & 5 ‘Views From The Edge’ The impact of human neglect on the planet is more evident every day, are we addressing it enough, are we being blasé and complacent that will ‘all be ok’? The planet is slowly choking on plastic, waste, debris and the ever-increasing effect of our consumeristic society is ultimately having a major impact on our fragile and beautiful environment. Views from the edge is a body of work that merges the real and the possible, the now and the future – the work references the ugliness that will be present from plastic pollution and that is more than present all over the world. Sea clutter. The images reflect a glimpse of the future, a view of the UK’s coastline, polluted waters, tides cluttered, and sea animals choked with our manmade waste. The photographs I have incorporated in the artworks are shot from recent trips to Norfolk, and merged with local city ‘rubbish’. Mini portals that suggest our current state. The pieces are intentionally subtle, a quick glance suggests it’s just a seascape, and all is well as the colours blend and tease the eye. But on further inspection, the playful constructions are voicing what is actually going on in our sea, an undercurrent of destruction. Using physical photographic prints and stamping out circular images these 3D ‘sculptures’ are hand built, and the layers are rephotographed. Unstable and off balanced, yet both aspects of the view being recognisable. A personal frustration with how man’s creations obscures part of the view. Juxtaposing the ugliness of our disposable society with the incredible skyline and seashores. Everything mankind does, makes an impression and dent on nature and our environment, my work merges new and old memories of our landscape and planets vulnerability. Will our shores still look beautiful in 20 year’s time, I fear not, there is denial and ignorance to the disposal of our recycling, where does it really end up, landfill, incineration, abroad, and where will it eventually reappear? The compositions intend lead to numerous interpretations, however it’s not that at difficult to make your own conclusions to our future - there is still some time to respond, if we do act. We can prevent more sea clutter.