She Has Risen

59" x 41"/150 x 105cm

Oil on aluminium panel

2021

Available at Sol Art

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I believe that young women will be the ones to lead us as we tackle climate change and its devastating effect on our societies. The power structures that we have developed, primarily dominated by men and designed to profit the few at the expense of life on earth, must be changed to give us an equitable society that respects all its members. 'She Has Risen' imagines this as a battle against a great, old fashioned machine. The painting is based loosely on the Irish legend of the Morrígan, the Great Queen, who gave warriors courage in the face of battle, and often appeared as a crow. Although crows are usually seen as harbingers of death, they actually represent adaptability and intelligence, teamwork and reciprocity in traditional symbolism. These are qualities we will need as we tackle climate change. The machinery in the painting, which is original hardware from a coal mine, represents the grinding massive gears of the patriarchy, as evidenced by the name written on the destroyed wheel – 'Potentia Patriarchus' – the power of the patriarchy. The painting is saying that we must dismantle the current machinery of power in order to tackle climate change. We need to turn off the tap of fossil fuels, represented in this piece by the dripping tap and the field of oil in which my model, Katy, stands. She has been victorious in her battle. With a sword of justice, she has defeated the old ways, which are destroying us and the planet, and she now asks us to follow her to a better future. Salvation is within our grasp, as evidenced by the three wind turbines perched high on the hill.