A series of paintings created for Parcours continues Tanya Merrill's interest in the relationship between humans and the natural world. From the consequential impact of agriculture, to a humorous nod to Goya’s Los caprichos, Merrill plays with conventional definitions of cultural and biological hierarchies, and the portrayal of gender and sexuality represented in nature throughout art history in relation to the current ecological climate.
Quick, dynamic brush strokes add a distinct vivacity and urgency to the works. In this way, Merrill captures the dichotomy of the looming threat of irreversible damage humans have inflicted on the natural world, while making visible the underlying immense magnificence and beauty that continues to supply joy and life. Using The Natural History Museum as a platform provides a context of the works’ own source material and gives additional weight to the call for attention to humans’ place in the environment.