Just another day for you and me in paradise (2019). Featured in the 'Unforeseen Landscapes' exhibition
about
A photographic response to the complex relationship humanity has with the natural world
This brief made me think of our man made relationship to the natural world and how a big part of that is petroleum.
After taking photographs at a petrol station I remembered an image I took of lilies in a pond... and I thought of the rising water levels and how Monet's paintings of lilies were all about celebrating the beauty of nature. Also, seeing as the Impressionists were influenced by photography, by the way a moment is captured in time and the light therein, the two ideas seemed to speak to one another.
Combined they allude to a dystopian future... if petroleum is a thing of the past will nature resurrect herself? And if so what will that new reality look like?
The title is taken from a Phil Collins song which speaks about someone down on their luck failing to get help from those with means. Petroleum fuels the divide between rich and poor and I wanted to make that a part of the image in some way.
