Drew Harris: The Pretty Picture Series 2008

As the world faces an economic downturn and uncertainties about the health of our planet, the Pretty Picture Series examines these concerns in text and images.

As a Canadian, I have been blessed with a relatively stable climate, the four seasons repeating every year with little or no change, until now that is. As a nation, for years we looked at various parts of our earth in shock, earthquakes, tsunami’s, chilling winters and extreme summer temperatures all seemed to be occurring in other parts of the world, not in our country, however, as we bear witness to, Canada has not been spared these climatic changes in recent years.

The Pretty Picture Series is both a serious subject while maintaining a humorous element. The actual painted surfaces may be dark in application, however by use of key textual elements, these words and phrases help lighten an otherwise gloomy picture of our earths health and our place on this planet.

The mediums I have employed in these new paintings are mostly natural materials found in nature, Bitumen, a petroleum based roofing tar, sticks and dirt. The unnatural elements I have used is Perspex sheeting, which acts as a barrier between viewer and art, somewhat in the manner we relate to our natural world, unattainable through man made plastics and process’s.

The phrases I have incorporated can have two meanings such as the piece “snowmen fall from heaven, unassembled”. It can have a humorous connotation while on the other hand, is making a statement on mass production such as “unassembled” home furnishings we all enjoy.

The Pretty Picture Series are far from pretty pictures, in fact, that was my intent. Think of it like witnessing our global meltdown, the outcome we often say is “that’s not a pretty picture”, referring to the effects our blatant disregard for our planet has exhibited.

The Pretty Picture Series is a follow up to my recent series entitled “ The Fogwater Series, The Weather Works and the Doppler Series” and continues my interest in weather related subject matter.

Thank you

Drew Harris, Penang Malaysia.