Terrestrial evolution

Terrestrial Evolution focuses on the destruction of the natural environment by manmade obstructions such as housing developments, strip malls, roads, telephone lines, and utility poles. Each of the paintings address one or more of these aspects of development and communicates ideas of detachment from this seemingly endless process of building. Color, surface texture, composition, and visual imagery were all carefully thought out and planned parts of a complicated process for the communication of ideas on this particular subject matter.My hometown of Carmel, Indiana has been experiencing massive environmental change over the past ten years. Large housing editions and strip malls have been built to accommodate the influx of people moving to this northern suburb of Indianapolis. Land is being sold, bought, zoned, and covered with quickly built homes and strip malls. Once this suburban sprawl has begun, will it stop? How much of the environmental damage it has contributed is reversible?Terrestrial Evolution represents a very personal and visual response to the contemporary state of Carmel's woodlands, wetlands, and wildlife, which are being sacrificed for manmade development.Department of ArtThesis (M.A.