Acrylic on canvas, 45x60cm. March 2021. NFS.
Inspired by aerial photography and satellite imagery taken over the Mackenzie River region in the Northwest Territories, Permutation shows the gradient of environmental degradation due to climate change that is occurring across these lush and diverse river landscapes.
As you migrate from left to right, pristine waters and stable riparian (shoreline) vegetation begin to degrade, permafrost (frozen ground) begins to thaw and destabilize the ground, causing large slumps to erode and load sediment in the waters, permanently affecting the integrity of the ecosystem and the quality of water that sustains us all.
This piece is a part of the Arctic Polarity exhibit in the Virtual Water Gallery.