ERASURE UPDATE The final erasure event was on 3rd December 2022 at the RWA, Bristol

Thank you to everyone who has supported this latest work of mine.

Being staged at the RWA, the interactive piece began at 11 am when I invited visitors to participate by erasing part of my drawing.

The initial request was received with a look of shock and changed to one of concern, sadness, and then a desire to take part. The following two visitors refused to ‘erase’, saying that it "felt destructive" and a stronger “too aggressive". There were many reports of "feeling guilty” and many saying that it was “fun".

Guilty for ‘erasing someone else’s beautiful drawing’ as well as guilty for ‘being part of this demise as a human being’.

These emotions drove further thought which was expressed with "I guess this is what it is designed to do?" and "Of course, this is the message to all of mankind".

The interaction revealed layers of interesting debate as the morning went on. The drawing took on an air of pathos as the seahorse’s eye and nose was left as a ghostly image.

The afternoon slot was very busy, with people lining up to ‘erase’. A little girl cried for the seahorses and was reassured by her mother by saying that I would draw some more!

There was a buzz as people became confident with their erasing and many thought that although "a very serious message, it was great fun".

Public Erasure - Spiny Seahorse

Saturday 15th October 11-12 noon and 2-3 pm

169th Open Exhibition RWA Royal West of England Academy, Bristol

I INVITE YOU TO TAKE PART IN MY PIECE

‘PUBLIC ERASURE - SPINY SEAHORSE’

PLEASE TAKE AN ERASER AND PARTIALLY RUB OUT

THE LEFT AND RIGHT HAND SEAHORSES.

THE UNDERLYING ‘NET’ IS INDELIBLE

INK AND CANNOT BE ERASED, ILLUSTRATING

THE PROBLEM OF PLASTICS IN OUR OCEANS

THE SPINY SEAHORSE IS CLASSIFIED

AS A VULNERABLE SPECIES BY THE IUCN

THIS INTERACTIVE PERFORMANCE SEEKS

TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THE INCREASED NUMBER

OF ENDANGERED SPECIES RESULTING FROM

CLIMATE CHANGE, HABITAT LOSS AND PLASTIC

POLLUTION