As if we are looking at the popular Garden Follies of the 18th and 19th century, my series Garden Sculptures are depictions of ancient and classical sculptures placed in a garden, however in this series rather than humans having control over their surroundings, this is using the same forms to depict human lack of control over the environment.

At first glance, the paintings in the series are deteriorating, ancient and classical sculptures in an overgrown garden, but each painting depicts a human form that is missing parts of their body such as, head, arms, and feet, as if they have been in the garden for centuries and are broken ruins. The sculptures here are representing that the people are broken, and nature doesn’t need people in it to thrive. People are ultimately powerless in their attempt to control nature and the disregard for our environment will only eventually destroy people themselves.  

The series depicts themes of powerlessness, over nature and in society. Each painting in the series is a different, recognizable sculpture, which describes different aspects of powerlessness in the world. I particularly focus on issues that impact women, from body issues, to control over women’s bodies and consent. By blending the imagery and symbolism of the specific sculpture and the symbolic meaning of the flowers that are depicted with it, each painting has its own narrative.