“The way I view the whole industry thing is: Isn’t it as natural as anything? We’re part of nature, and we’re creating this,” Connolly says of trash and the accumulation of human junk.
“We’re buzzing around on the surface (of the Earth) and creating all this crap. In a way, junk comes from all the elements that exist here. It’s not like we went to some alien planet and got them.”
Some of his paintings examine trash being overtaken by nature, such as flowers and grass growing on cars in a junkyard or a tree growing out of an old, abandoned silo. Connolly paints on glass and does detail work before painting in the background, which is opposite from regular canvas painting.
He says that his paintings aren’t necessarily a warning of human excess or a foretelling of the end of the world.
“I figure (trash will) just be a geological layer, and the Earth will heal itself,” Connolly said. “I don’t think people are going to be any issue to the Earth. We’re just like little mosquitoes.”
Interested in art and social commentary? Enroll today in a class on acrylic painting to find out how to express your ideas on canvas or any other medium. Once students understand the basics of painting, including color mixing and brush strokes, they can also expect to experiment with painting on canvas, wood, glass, and more.
http://hamptonroads.com/2013/02/painting-music-junk-all-part-natures-art.