Through the Lens of a Child

Details

Year	2022
Artist(s)	Erin Boake – Red Deer, AB
Type	Mural
Medium	Acrylic on drywall
Site Location	Intermediate Building 500 Level - 5205 48 Ave

Description

In my series, Children of the Apocalypse, I am contemplating the future of our young children growing up surrounded by the degradation of our natural world. How will the places they love to explore as children look when they are grown, as a result of the increasing effects of climate change and human interference? What will this do to their well-being? The figures in the landscapes reflect the simple pleasures of playing in and exploring our environment with the genuine curiosity of a child. In contrast the children in the scenes are often alone, wandering the landscapes of un-natural neon and metallic colours.

The colour pallet implies toxicity and joy. The paintings are both cheerful and oppressive. The images come from photographs of my own children playing outside in the wilderness areas we love. The landscapes are simplified to express the content through colour and composition. These explorations in materiality are in turn an expression of my internal landscape: a mother’s love letter to her children, but also a reaction of fear and uncertainty for their futures.