Category Archives: Art and Apocalypse

Pay Attention!

Posted by npaul on
Extinction (part II of triptych — I, II, III: Destruction, Extinction, Disintegration), 2023

Pay Attention! is the theme of the upcoming OKWA (Organization of Kingston Women Artists) exhibit currently showing at the Tett Centre in Kingston (22 September – 04 October 2026). https://www.tettcentre.org/pay-attention-exhibition

This triptych is my contribution. See last month’s post for part I, Destruction, and below for part III, Disintegration. The following is my artist statement:

Destruction, Extinction, Disintegration is a response to the wars in the Ukraine and the Middle East, to the accelerating rate of extinction of species, to our rising fear for the future of the planet.

Destruction: The action or process of causing so much damage to something that it no longer exists or cannot be repaired.

Extinction: The complete disappearance of a species from Earth.

Disintegration: The process of losing cohesion and unity; of coming to pieces, falling apart.

Disintegration (part III of triptych — I, II, III: Destruction, Extinction, Disintegration), 2023

Destruction

Posted by npaul on

Mixed media (acrylic, wood shavings, metal scrap, fence wire), 2023

Size: w 16″x h 12″ x h 1.5″ cradled birch panel

Part I of Triptych (I, II, III: Destruction, Extinction, Disintegration)

Destruction

Rubble, ash, splintered wood, stone dust, pulverized concrete. What remains after the bombing of cities and catastrophe of earthquakes.


The following two poems will probably never see publication, so I put them out here (written in the last few weeks).


Gods of Peace and War

We are the gods of grace
We come from away and far
To show you a safe place
To light your way with stars

We are the gods of war
We travel now in space
To show you death and fear
We look into your face

We are the gods of peace

We are the gods that are

War Is Here

War is here; we’ve been attacked
Death will come for thee and me
As it has for saints and fools.

Before that, time will crease our hearts
And fear will corrugate our souls.

Fire Escape

Posted by npaul on

Acrylic, ink, pastel on canvas (2024)

Size: w 20″ x h 40″ x d 1.5″

After having posted several “in progress”‘ images of this painting, I announced with great fanfare back in May that it was finally finished. It was not.

Air Strike

Posted by npaul on

Acrylic, graphite, washi on cradled birch panel (2024)

Size: w 24″ x h 20″ x d 1.5″

This piece is being exhibited this month at the OKWA (Organization of Kingston Women Artists) annual show at the Window Gallery in Kingston, through to the end of November. The theme of the show is Change. My statement is as follows: “Air strikes by drones are a change from past warfare.  Otherwise, no change.  No peace.”

Ollie in Gaza (Work in Progress)

Posted by npaul on

Acrylic and ink on canvas (2024)

Size: w 16 ” x h 20″ x d 1″

Ollie the orangutan was photographed by James Balog at Marine World Africa in California in 1988. In captivity, an orangutan can sometimes live into their late 50s. If he is still alive, Ollie is 42 years old.

Passing: Fire Escape

Posted by npaul on

Acrylic, ink, pastel on canvas (2024)

Size: w 20″ x h 40″ x d 1.5″

Now finished — Ta-da!

Three of my paintings (Nereids in the Garden of Hippocampus, Leaving Eden, and Dragonfly Dance) are on exhibit at the Etobicoke Civic Centre this month through to June 6 as part of The Art of Regret, a group show of work by the Organization of Kingston Women Artists. Here is the link to the Civic Centre (scroll to click on Gallery Exhibitions and the image shown is of my piece, Leaving Eden).