"Refuvescence" Mixed Media Series

The term "Refuvescence"—coined by the Bureau of Linguistical Reality's collaborative climate change dictionary project aimed at creating a new vocabulary for the Anthropocene—is rooted in compost. It defines one interpretation as "A collective moment of transformation when what seems mired, foul and utterly messed up in a society turns, as if by magic, into a progressive and uniting force. Where rotting structures and ideologies are turned or composted into fertile ground for new growth."

A running cultural narrative I've noticed is the belief that people are unable to change. As if our human-built systems are so big that they are out of our control, leaving us stuck with the status quo. Like much of my work, this Refuvescence series is inspired by my belief in the human capacity for change.

My experimental paintings each begin with dabs, drops, and splops of random, clashing colors of wet pigment that pool inside the shape of a human form. Out of the mucky pool I work with brushes and watercolor pencil to coax the pigments into an active, blooming surface. Like compost, each human figure transforms into something vibrant and new. 

@thebureauoflinguisticalreality
Refuvescence (AKA The Werring, To Wormdazzle) definition: https://bureauoflinguisticalreality.com/portfolio/werring/