Benjamin Cruz

BA Fine Art
Chelsea College of Arts

Every year, the California wildfire season grows longer and more intense. Millions witness the scorching conditions from evacuation centres, their cars on the freeway, or their televisions and smartphones. Every summer, I fear for the safety and wellbeing of my family and community as fires creep up to our doorsteps. The scale and effect of these fires feel mythological and apocalyptic, feelings I wanted to capture in my painting.California is both a person and a place; she is a deity of sorts. She is a paradise, a diverse landscape, a rich mediascape. But she can’t remain. Each year, the size and severity of these fires grow. We Californians witness her burning and mourn her landscape, but are we complicit? Or are efforts to battle and prevent these fires fruitful? Have you seen the fire scars heal? Have you seen how fast life returns and how beautiful it looks? The fires aren’t coincidental; they are preparation for something greater, something beyond our control. With apocalypse comes rebirth: a transformation. Whether or not we will be here for the new California is unknown, but what we do know is that we are witnesses now. We are simultaneously witnessing the beginning and the end.