Every artist has certain preferences when creating art. For example, I like piling things into mounds. I’ve never quite understood why, but I’ve come to accept it as part of my artistic vision. A few years ago I made a couple of studies showing a massive pile of cars. I loved Matchbox cars as a kid. I think in some way, the paintings were my way of reveling in my childhood. My five-year-old self would have considered an enormous pile of Matchbox cars to be the ultimate treasure trove.
These images intrigued me. They looked comical, but seemed rather pointless. On a lark I turned one of the paintings upside down and was surprised to discover the image felt more alive. What had previously been a towering pile of cars now resembled an giant, hanging mass of bees. I decided to call the painting Hive.
Hive marked the beginning of a new direction in my art. For years I had been seeking ways to explore important issues like climate change and environmental degradation through my art. The automobile seemed an apt symbol for examining these issues, as cars are so indicative of modern society and our dependence on fossil fuels.
The idea to paint a towering pile of cars remained in my head. It was a compulsive image. This time I thought I would show a pile of cars as an island, or a reef surrounded by water. My concept was that someday, after the icecaps had melted due to climate change, there would remain a solitary pile of cars jutting out of the ocean. The dark irony here would be that these cars had been responsible for creating the situation in the first place. Not only were they the catalyst for this transformation, they were now the victims of it. My painting would be an allegory about cause and effect, or what goes around, comes around.
My initial attempt at rendering the image as a side view, showing above and below the waterline, was problematic. It wasn’t readily apparent this was a submerged pile of cars. So I adjusted the vantage point slightly to reveal more of the water surface. I decreased the height of the pile, so only a small portion protruded above the waterline. I also added some clouds to the sky, to add depth and scale to the image.
I as surprised when a collector quickly bought my painting, immediately after I had finished it. I had only intended it to be an exploratory sketch. This prompted me to paint a new version for an upcoming show. It would be larger so I could have more details.
Below is the painting I made. I call it Castaways. It feels humorous, and yet somehow poignant. I like that it is enigmatic and allows plenty of room for interpretation. It’s interesting how much this painting resembles the early stage of Hive. Obviously I had an image in my head that needed to be expressed.
