Lucy Maddox
Past present future

Oil on canvas

This work is part of series that explores identity through still life compositions of guilty pleasures: pastries, wine, cheese or, in this case, oysters. “Past, present, future” specifically examines personal identity and the desire to leave ones mark on the world.

Middens, stacked piles of empty oyster shells, offer evidence of human settlement around coastal areas of Australia and my native United States. When other proof has rotted away, these bleached white mounds signal that someone was once there.

Oysters’ brief shelf life only adds to their attraction. Finished in a single bite, they are an intense and polarising experience – symbolic of pleasure, sexuality and life itself. These shells - a painted midden - will in turn be evidence of my own existence long after I am gone.

Size: 40 × 30 cm