Reflection

I believe that I am part of a community that includes more than my species. I observe the sanctity of life, from the smallest bud to the largest blue whale. I believe that my actions do not only affect myself, and I conduct myself in a manner reflective of that belief. I use my art to give a voice to those voiceless animals which suffer under the yolk of humanity. My concentration in AP art was human abuse of the environment. I researched extensively the affects of digesting plastics on animals. I want to expose the heinous truths of humanity which are consistently obscured through a smog of apathy. If humans are made aware of what devastation they cause, perhaps they may change their ways. And after all, pictures speak louder than words. If my art can make amends for the scars which my fellows have left in their wake, then I consider my art’s purpose fulfilled. In this piece, I used a picture of seagulls I took in Ireland and painted it in photoshop. I painted gashes in their bodies and imagined what a carcass would look like when filled with plastics. Then I zoomed in to embellish and detail. The goal of my work is to make humans realize that their trash does not disappear, but rather kills. The ocean is not a trashcan, but it is treated as one. Humans must change their ways or face the consequences.