Mother And Child

By Rebecca James

ARTIST STATEMENT

"It's so easy in our modern world to become disconnected from nature. We can live comfortably in our air-conditioned houses, moving from house to car to supermarket, avoiding any encounter with the sun, wind or rain, the inconvenience of the changing weather. We distract ourselves with our screens, with the virtual world, with endless news and entertainment. I’m as guilty as anyone of embracing this comfort, this distraction.

Yet we are embodied creatures and we need the light of the sun, the oxygen from trees, the feel of the wind and rain and ocean against our skin. These three paintings explore this essential truth: our human embodiment and our connection to the natural world. They quietly celebrate moments of physical presence, from swimming in the ocean to simply being near water to the profound act of creating and nurturing new life. Motherhood, in particular, is a fundamental testament to our embodiment; women's bodies not only create and nurture life but manifest an ongoing connection to the very cycles of human existence. These works invite us to reconnect with our physical selves and the world around us, reminding us that not only should we enjoy and respect nature but that we are also part of it."

BIO

Rebecca has been a finalist in the National Emerging Art Prize, the Mandorla Art Prize and the Biblio Art Prize. She has exhibited at art fairs and with a variety of galleries across Australia. She recently held her first solo exhibition, 'At The Table’ with Boom Gallery in Geelong. She has five children, one husband, two scruffy dogs and lives in a very small house on a big block of land.