Lisa Caplan
Art Center College of Design
Amazon 2010
Mixed media on screens, gold leaf, images photographed in the Ecuadorian
Amazon
32" x 48"
Projecting slides of the Amazon Rain Forest upon layers of stretched, painted mosquito-net (a very important material to me while there) brings my jungle vision to life. Light travels through the screens and is absorbed, creating areas of darkness reminiscent of the forest floor that sits in shadow. The canopy filters the sunlight, layering the foliage beneath with dappled light and creating a holographic effect.
The awareness that mosquito netting serves a potentially important function as a disease prevention method in the southern hemisphere is another facet of this installation. So too is an awareness of the importance of innovation and the impact of industry upon the landscape and living ecosystems that I depict in my art. The juxtaposition of the raw steel framework with the delicate material and imagery of my paintings echos the reality of encroaching industry in the Amazon River Basin.