Audrey Messersmith
The World is
Waking Up
Artist Statement
Sometimes, it’s okay to get angry. The world is hurting because many people value power over environmental safety or even other people’s lives. The title of this exhibition comes from a speech given by Greta Thunberg at the U.N. Climate Action Summit: "We will not let you get away with this. Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up. And change is coming, whether you like it or not.”
For this exhibition I chose to paint three locations from around the world that have been in some way endangered. The first painting is of an iceberg from up north, where climate change has been having a disastrous effect. The second painting is a location much closer to home. Hamilton City Hall has, in the past year or so, been the location of much turmoil as the people of the city take a stand against the neo-nazi organizations that seek foothold here. The third painting is of a forest in Australia that is in the process of burning during the wildfires. All three of the paintings were then scarred with the marks of a knife, red paint, and charcoal.
Anger was an ongoing theme while I was painting these images. So often it can be easy to forget or ignore the bad things that are happening in the world that one person alone can’t change. However, when everyone thinks that there is nothing they can do, then nothing changes and the bad things keep happening. So, get angry. Remind yourself of what is happening and don’t let it slip through the cracks.
About Audrey Messersmith
Audrey Messersmith has been working with watercolors for the past several years. She is a Hamilton based artist who has attended Redeemer University for five years. Her work draws inspiration from the world around her and how we interact with it in different ways. She regularly walks on the escarpment and has worked in animal rescues. Audrey also is inspired by the illustrations in the books of her childhood, and the effect they had on her imagination growing up.