In my paintings and related sculptures I depict how humans might rebuild society and culture after the end of industry. I synthesize two opposing hypotheses to create scenes that speak of the struggle and mystery of the our relationship to the rest of the natural world. One side of me believes that with a clean slate and cautious determination we could avoid further ecological disaster. This is tempered by another view that fears that human greed and conflict are unavoidable.

This project is a way of cross-examining my own ideals. Through the lens of my fears—violence, nationalism, and a vast uncertainty— I can debate the plausibility of my passions. Each painting is based on a specific ‘ecoregion,’ an area of land defined not by a nation state but by ecology, with its own place on the spectrum of human impact. These factors help me add a richly imagined specificity to my dream world. I am thus forced to reckon with both the triumphs and pitfalls of the bright and cloudy future.