Rebecca Murray

"Natural disaster makes an example of mankind, regularly washing the land clean of mans development, restoring a sort of balance by reminding us that we are part of the land not in control of it. The focus of my work stems from this fascination and is fuelled by my own first hand experience of a forest fire in America during the summer of 2013.I have seen the destruction natural disaster can cause. This wildfire consumed vast areas of forest and destroyed homes and businesses, engulfing whole areas in acrid choking smoke and brought major cities to a standstill.
Exploring themes such as loss and destruction, isolation and redevelopment. I aim to document the fragility of mankind through the creation and destruction of a model environment." Rebecca Murray 

There were a number of artists at Gray's this year whose work was quite dark in its sensibilities and observation. It was interesting to hear Rebecca's account of being in an emergency zone with wild fired and the chaos of survival. Rebecca's work was very compelling and appealing causing morbid fascination not only with the process of creation or destruction of all the burnt toy cars. In using toy cars as a metaphor these pieces also evoke reactions to loss of innocence and childhood.