“til nothings left” [the story]

“TIL NOTHING’S LEFT” as seen here
various sizes
mixed media on canvas

experimental work to tell a story about excessive consumerism. the black with the layers beneath peaking through symbolize movement of this happening before our eyes as we mindlessly and habitually consume til nothing’s left.

the goal of this work isn’t about perfection [you don’t need to be BEST at making more sustainable decisions], it is just to bring awareness to all that we consume and then to maybe try to consume a little less.

consuming less often comes down to using what you’ve already got, prioritizing buying secondhand, choosing people and experiences over things, choosing a career that you love and not for the money [if you learn to buy less you might find you don’t need as much money as you think you do], challenging what you’re told you ‘need,’ appreciating the joy of fresh air on a sunny afternoon, embracing change and all your human thoughts and emotions, making more things with your hands, and appreciating all the simple things life has to offer.

about the process

for each piece in the series [8 total] i used rejected materials such as old canvases from thrift stores and canvases i had previously painted on while learning. the background of each canvas is primarily made up of a collage of old national geographic ‘zines i saved from a literal dumpster once, parts of some of my old art i was no longer fond of, and the paint i never seemed to reach for but wanted to use up before i could justify buying more.

this project had about three very different versions until i really felt like it was ‘done’ but after each version i left it all alone for a couple months before coming back to i