Fiona Brooking Thomas
Artist’s Statement
The lockdown might have placed restrictions on our lives but it has created a space to explore new materials and new ways of working. Both pieces are made out of plastic foam packaging which would have normally gone to landfill and left to decompose. It is estimated that it would take a thousand years to decompose. The question arose whether it could be used for some other purpose. The taller piece explores the theme of singularity and is derived from research into stele and North American First Nation totem poles. The colour combination on the original version made it appear stark and angular. In the revised version a different type of plastic packaging was used to create a central square medallion and loosely attached to the piece by elastic coiled round the upper part and strips of discarded masking tape were added to soften the piece.
The same material is used in the second piece. It might suggest a group of lotuses. The lotus is an important symbol in Buddhist iconography and represents the Buddha’s enlightenment, wisdom and compassion. It also represents purity. Flowers float on the surface of the water whilst the roots reach down into muddy waters below reminding practitioners not to reject the impure world in which they live but to find truth and enlightenment by overcoming problems encountered in their interactions with the world.
The copper lines suggest the interconnectedness between humans and the environment. People shape the environment and the ecosystem and planet shape human society. Daisaku Ikeda, a Buddhist teacher, wrote “Because climate change is an issue that will leave no one untouched, it has the potential to catalyse heretofore unseen global solidarity and action. Our success or failure in actualising this potential is in fact the defining issue of our time”. It is hoped that this piece will remind the audience of the immediate need for “global solidarity and action”.
