GREAT BARRIER REEF QUARTET (2018)

Artist Statement:

This quartet of works explores the fragility of the Great Barrier Reef, which faces devastation from climate change, overfishing, and agricultural runoff. Compounding these pressures is the crown-of-thorns starfish—native to Indo-Pacific reefs which, under the right conditions, can reach plague proportions and decimate hard coral communities. Research has shown that after coral bleaching, crown-of-thorns outbreaks are one of the leading causes of coral loss on the Great Barrier Reef.

Using acrylic paint, pouring medium, candle wax, and smoke, the series interprets how both climate change and the crown-of-thorns starfish drive the reef toward collapse. Each artwork marks a stage in the reef’s decline, progressing toward its inevitable destruction.