Eco Art 2024 Group Exhibition including the work of Grace Marquez
Eco Art Exhibition 2024 is here at Gallery 1313 located on Toronto's vibrant Queen Street West. Details are as follows for this event:
Main Gallery at Gallery 1313
A curated group exhibition
Reception April 11 and show runs until April 21
With taxes on carbon emissions filling the news and political platforms and weather and storms become even less predictable we can question what would be the price of not doing anything to combat climate change. Gallery 1313 has a long history of enlisting artists to give the public a visual picture of this looming crisis. The ECO ART Exhibit will have some 20 artists with various approaches to what we might do to address these issues.
Artists have explored a variety of issues from wildfires, to impacts on animal life, distressed landscapes , overpopulation , endangered species and so much more.
Participating artists include Rachel Stableford, Thomas Triebe-Pay, Bridge Puhacz, Paul Brandejs , George Farmer, Emily Pike, Courtney McKay Fairweather, Ignor Sinitar, Bill Ward , Grace Morquez, Rafael Flores, Ashlynn Doljac, Janine Lindgren, Alex Southey, Sandra Franke, Nafisa Sayed, Kathryn Greenway, Linda Laforge, Skye Cheung and others.
MY ENTRY and ARTIST STATEMENT:
"Beneath Her Belly Life Grows"
Imagine the earth-shattering force of 23 nuclear explosions, echoing through the years in a single location. Picture the raw devastation and chaos as it twists metal, poisons soil, and taints waters, rendering an entire area uninhabitable. This haunting reality unfolded in the remote and enchantingly beautiful Micronesian island chain known as Bikini Atoll, between 1946 and 1958. Ninety-five World War II ships were consigned to Bikini as a ship graveyard, laden with fuel and armaments, anchored there during the testing.
Now, envisage that same wreckage, lying in this graveyard of twisted metal, more than 76 years later. It's a sight to behold, adorned with corals of every shade, adorned with the textures and patterns of thriving marine life. It's become a sanctuary for thousands of fish and creatures, a testament to the patience, resilience, and sheer tenacity of life. The once-weapons of war have been transformed into lush, safe havens where marine life flourishes and thrives. This is the remarkable essence behind much of my art, including "Afterlife" - my series dedicated to the ghost fleet of Bikini Atoll.
As a scuba diver, I've witnessed firsthand the reckless pollution and destructive impact of human hands. Yet, I've also borne witness to the incredible persistence and ultimate reclamation by Mother Nature of man-made objects that find their resting place at the bottom of the world's waters.