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‘ Humanities Grand Desires’
to consume
to control
to survive
to conceive
100x50 cm,
Acrylic and Gouache on Canvas
painting 1 - to consume
the consumption is all about cycles, the cycle of pregnancy especially but also the cycle of consumerism and capitalism. This concept of concious cycles was represented by the paradox of the figure. she is a venus flytrap which is known for being carnivorous, yet is also being consumed by the maggots at her feet.
painting 2 - to control
the control Is mainly represented by war. the struggle for control, the controlling of troops and the desire to control land and people. The figure is represented with a head of poppies, rolls of fat that mimic ribs, and her arms being constrained by barbed wire. Her pose is also one of constraint, her hands gripping the barbed wire that is dragged across her body, positioning her as both the one in control and the one being constrained.
painting 3 - to sur ive
the survival is the most primal of the desires, this is why she is coloured in blue instead of red. she is represented by forget- me- nots, a flower that famously doesnt survive the winter. her white symbol is a butterfly that has had its wing broken off, showing how she can no longer thrive but simply survive.
painting 4 - to conceive
the companionship is the last main desire. also shown here as the desire to conceive. She is represented by apples and apple blossoms, linking her to the story of eve and the garden of eden. she is the representation of wanting love and community, holding out one of her own apples with the intention of sharing it with someone.