STILL BURNING

Suelyn’s work asks us to reflect on the recent megafires in California. The Mendocino complex fire of 2018 and Thomas fire of 2017 are the largest fires in California history, burning a combined 740,000 acres, which is about the size of Rhode Island.

With this hotter, windier, and drier weather, we are now experiencing the fires of the future.

The artist zooms in and out from different perspectives to create sweeping portraits of megafires. Painting firenados, drifting smoke, firefighting, and smoldering with oil on wood panels, brings an ironic bent to the series.

The use of eerie, yet devastatingly beautiful colors unearths an unease. A similar unease arises when we confront that “this new normal,” is a side effect of our choices for our modern lifestyle.