A Wave of Change
Hi there,
In this weeks blog I thought I’d share a bit of the story behind the pieces I chose to exhibit this week as part of a group show at the Blueskin Gallery in Waitati, NZ.
I coincidentally happened to watch a talk about the issues of the upcoming climate change and how little time we have left to ‘catch the metaphorical ball before it’s too late’. It was rather insightful and terrifying, especially as the world is so horrendously distracted by the other thing going on at the moment.
At this point I had already kind of intuitively picked the pieces I was going to display at the show. After watching this talk and then reviewing my art, I realised how well they coincide, as each piece has a message which relates to the issues; such as the rising tide and the overpopulation and pollution of cows and farming in general. I decided to write a bit about each one which all somehow turned into poetry with a bit of a rap in there, too.
I’ll share here with you each painting with writing.
A Wave of Change
Oil & Acrylic on Board
570 mm x 580 mm
– Natalie J. Cheetham –
Oh world, where have we taken you,
To a time oozing with despair.
Must fix this out’a’control rollercoaster
Before we all derail.
Oh people, when will we change our ways,
There’s barely time to repair
This sinking ship of survival
Incapable to bail.
Oh time, please be on our side,
As we try to puzzle together
The pieces scattered inside
The minds of the frail.
Before the fish all go to heaven,
And the birds no longer fly.
Grow for Survival
Oil on Canvas
502 mm x 502 mm
– Natalie J. Cheetham –
Bird flying towards the eye in the sky,
Speckles of feathers melting into clouds,
Growth and death surrounds us all,
Both day and night.
To defeat mass destruction
We must plant to grow,
Grow to overthrow.
Fly beyond our differences,
Beyond our egos,
Beyond the fictitious shackles of currency.
Fly to the realm of all possibilities
Of all technological advances,
To lift us out of the hundred year old swamp
Of oil and coal, drowning in the filth.
We can clean ourselves of the muck,
Fly towards life,
Fly towards survival.
Think fresh, think new, think old
Electric Gondalas,
Hydrogen trains and trams,
Sofas on rails.
Be imaginative, be inventive!
We created the problem, we can remove it!
Desert of Cows
Oil & Acrylic on Board
491 mm x 839 mm
– Natalie J. Cheetham –
Dey be on da road,
Dey be in ma view,
Dey be on da beach.
Everywhere I look
Dere be cows,
Everywhere I see
Dere be cows
Dey be in ma garden,
Dey be on my lawn,
Dey on ma doorstep
Everywhere I look
Dere be cows,
Everywhere I see
Dere be cows
Dey be in da rivers,
Dey be in ma gravy
Dey be in ma freakin’ chips
All dem cows
No more land for kiwis
Dere be cows
No more homes for natives
Dere be cows
No more clean water
Dere be cows.
They are lovely pictures, I’m very impressed.