Symbiosis

Jenna Starkey

Area: Painting

Thesis Statement

“Tropical deforestation contributes about 20% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing it will be necessary to avoid dangerous climate change." - Gregory P. Asner, PhD, Stanford University

My thesis collection this semester represents a body of work from a world of my own. These compositions are to show relationships between organisms in an imagined botanical habitat, living and interacting together in a balanced ecosystem. Throughout my four semesters in the program, I explored a variety of different mediums and approaches, but I was always drawn to bright, saturated color, and world-building of imagined environments and botanical utopias. I am deeply passionate about the environment and animals and have always been fascinated by animal behavior. I attempt to show how animals interact amongst one another and how all forms of life play a role in the natural balance of the ecosystem. It is crucial the balance remains. The magic of the world is the land untouched by mankind and it must be protected and cherished. The destruction of deforestation is a leading factor of climate change and global warming. Their habitats are being destroyed, these species are disappearing from the Earth and our planet is dying with them. My hope is to project my feelings of wonderment and adoration into something I could share with others, and show them how I see the Earth's creatures and environment. I wanted to create scenes of mysticity and discovery. I gathered references of deep rainforest foliage and animals, picking and pulling what I wanted out of things, while also allowing freedom to the direction the painting wanted to go. I attempt to remind the viewer the feelings you felt as a child seeing nature or walking through a forest. I aspire to remind people we share the same home with all forms of life and to acknowledge the importance of protecting the real magic in front of us.

Source Cited: Asner, Gregory P. - Measuring Carbon Emissions from Tropical Deforestation: An Overview Gregory P. Asner, PhD, Department of Global Ecology Carnegie Institute for Science; Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Stanford University.