PAINTINGS

Generation Y is defined as the generation of individuals who were born in the 80's, and grew up in the 1990s and 2000s. As a part of this generation, I realize that we have inherited the earth in time of dire need; the earth is looking for the hope that will guarantee her survival. It is our responsibility to embrace the earth’s cause and bring humanity to a transcendent awareness of what is going on around us.

I chose to depict the earth in terms of global warming and racial unity. This piece represents the injustice that these two problems inflict upon the young people who inherit our planet from those who have come before us. Global warming threatens the fabric of our existence like no other threat; it threatens to steal our wildlife and resources, while mocking our generation with a slow progression. From the cracked earth, to the pollution stacks, city skylines, and corrupt businessmen, the plight of our earth is evident throughout the painting. It is the responsibility of this generation, Generation Y, to embrace the enormity of this problem and leave behind something better than what we were given.

Racism has broken the unity that all children are naturally born with. The light of two children, whether they be African, Asian, or Latin, playing together is a beacon for our generation to follow in the darkness that is racism. I have these 5 children in grayscale to show that we all are brothers and sisters regardless of our complexion, culture, or creed.

Generation Y may seem to portray hopelessness, but, on closer inspection the painting inspires the hope of an entire generation of those who will not sit quietly and watch as our home is ransacked. The flower of life has been recognized by the greatest minds in history as a symbol of perfection for centuries. It is believed to contain a visual expression of the intricate connections life weaves through all living things.
It is this connection that obliges us all to look past our superficial differences. At the heart of it all, we are made up of the same protons, neutrons, and electrons. It is this inter-connectivity that bestows on us a responsibility to each other, to rise as one, and define ourselves as a generation, or better yet, the generation that saved the world.