Sanctuary, 2001

Sanctuary

Social commentary is an important aspect of my work and I like to use parody, satire or irony to make a point. One aspect of Sanctuary looks at the conflict between the demands of culture upon the environment and the need for renewal of nature to sustain life. Seen this way, the thumbs may be viewed as both positive and negative.
When we picture green thumbs we imagine gardening and the ability to make plants grow. In this context, green thumbs may be seen as symbols for life, growth, regeneration and renewal, something to be venerated. Conversely, these thumbs are unnatural, contrived elements in landscape imagery and in this instance they may be viewed as something negative, situated in the environment, much like the way society has imposed itself on nature, and therefore should not be worshipped.
The concept of worshipping a chunk of plaster, carved into the shape of a thumb and painted green is totally absurd and building a shrine, complete with altarpiece is even more preposterous. Thumbs are not deities in any sense of the concept nor should they be. This, along with the creation of landscape impressions containing thumbs, demonstrates almost anything may be prescribed upon a scene and be reminiscent of something or somewhere else, such as Stonehenge, Easter Island or any other familiar, sacred or historic site. This makes us question the nature of universal archetypes. Is a symbol really a symbol or is it fabricated as well?

Janice Johnson