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Climate Change Capriccio

Artist Gail Boyajian (b. 1948)

Date2006

MediumOil on panels

Dimensions12 x 180 in. (triptych)

ClassificationsOil Painting

Credit LineCharles F. Smith Fund

Object number2007.100

DescriptionThe three panels of "Climate Change Capriccio" represent rising threats to the longevity and stability of our environment. The first two panels symbolize the disastrous effects of global warming and the role humans have played in the destruction of our planet. In one, smokestacks can be seen in the distance, flooding the sky with smog, causing damage to all of the plants and animals that, for now, are still managing to survive. Her clear commentary on industrialization parallels similar ideas Cole conveyed in his own paintings. In the second panel, a flood has destroyed not just natural habitats, but also the human environment. The final panel of this triptych recalls an idyllic childhood when man and nature were seemingly in harmony as the entire environment appears to be thriving. However, the title suggests that this painting captures the rise of non-indigenous flora and fauna that adversely affect their new habitats and lead to the extinction of local plant life. Boyajian thus addresses specific environmental issues facing all of us in the 21st century.

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