Untitled

Untitled depicts architecture in a pastoral setting. The sun’s rays, typically an optimistic sign, reach over and through houses, suggesting extreme heat. A blue sky turned stormy fills the triangular roof of a house, weather entering the home.

Living in Miami as a working artist for seven years brought climate change to the forefront. Fleeing hurricanes and driving through a foot of water regularly just from heavy rain led me to create artwork about climate change and its impact on housing. In my paintings, imagery such as houses, cardboard boxes, and shifting landscapes communicates the feeling of displacement. Home ownership is often tied to the idea of the American Dream. “Home” encompasses environmental and socioeconomic factors that influence where we live. These factors include climate change, climate gentrification, industrial pollution, and negligence in adhering to building codes and routine maintenance. Circumstances that appear to be chance, even environmental disasters, can be the result of tactical exertions of power that become systemic. Although many of these factors are outside of the control of individuals living in a region, such as wildfires and hurricanes, as a society, there are opportunities to be proactive by planning, finding new solutions, and putting the environment first when creating policy.