A THOUSAND MORE - 90 Mile Beach North Island New Zealand - Aotearoa

This painting was a scene I experienced as part of an amazing adventure in January 2020. Two leatherette chairs left on a sand dune at the bottom of 90 Mile Beach North Island New Zealand. The title came about because this is the second large oil painting I have made of two empty chairs left on a beach – the idea that they could generate a short story, a thousand words, chairs positioned like thrones, the notions of Kind Canute and keeping back the sea from a throne, or just a spot to sit and watch the tides roll in and out. I made this painting in April and May 2020, at this point the C-19 virus was taking a hold globally, numbers of people contracting the virus and deaths were rising. A thousand more and the emptiness of the two closely positioned chairs took on a new meaning. A thousand more cases, a thousand more deaths and the possibility of sitting close to a friend to watch the tide roll, slipping away as social distancing policy and lock down took hold.

Large oil on canvas, 74x103cm.
POA

Ref: NZ 2020