A universal problem for San Diegans is development: where to build, what to build, how to build, and most importantly, for whose benefit to build. What started in 2017 as an artistic exploration of a deteriorating wicker bench I discovered on an uncharacteristically large, undeveloped property in Carlsbad ended as an in-depth investigation of an abandoned equestrian field, an adjacent 3,000 acres of agricultural land, and imminent construction plans on the border of El Camino Real (a major north-south thoroughfare). After painting 18 works of art in this series (“Secluded and Convenient”), where I superimposed grids as abstract parcel maps, I decided with “All That We Leave Behind No. 7” to take the grid out of the painting and place it into the hands of the viewer. The 4” deep wood panel houses five 3 ½ “x 3 ½” removable cubes that, when rotated, display a variety of interactive words, background stories, and prints of paintings that can be randomly placed to change the narrative of the work. The cubes subtly touch on human progress versus preservation of the environment, loss of wildlife versus creation of inhabitable spaces for people, environmental destruction versus equitable housing for all, among other ideas. “All That We Leave Behind No.7” serves not only as social commentary but as art that entices the eye to linger, and the fingers to touch and rotate the cubes. The myriad of narratives available demonstrate that there is no simple answer to the issue of development, or even how to tell a story.
- Subject Matter: Urban landscape
- Created: 2021
- Collections: Secluded and Convenient