A VISUAL LANGUAGE SPEAKING FOR THE CLIMATE, NATURE AND HER WILD CREATURES

COLLABORATION WITH CHARITY: WATER AND THE OTHER ART FAIR

Water is recognised as a fundamental human right, yet millions of people still lack basic drinking water access. charity: water is a nonprofit organisation bringing clean and safe water to people around the world in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030. So far they have funded over 130,000 water projects in 29 countries around the world with the help of local partners. Claire Milner was one of a small selection of artists, including pioneering street artist Ben Eine and globally renowned experiential artist Jeppe Hein, who were among those chosen to collaborate in an exhibition with charity: water in partnership with The Other Art Fair in October 2023.

‘The Source’ sold to a private collector in London in aid of charity:water.

INSPIRATION FOR ‘THE SOURCE’

The painting, entitled ‘The Source’ reflects three main connections: the first is to Africa, represented as the initial drip from the tap. It is considered by most paleoanthropologists to be the oldest inhabited territory on Earth. Secondly, to art history and the painting by French neoclassical painter Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres depicting a girl holding a pitcher from which water flows, representing a water source. Thirdly to ‘The Spring’, the monthly giving community of charity:water.

CW: What inspired you to create this artwork for charity: water?

CM: Each year I am approached by a number of organisations to contribute through my work to their efforts on the ground. This is a fundamental part of my practice, to create art, not just for art’s sake, but to stimulate real change. Through this process and after much research I select organisations such as charity: water doing significant work that I want to support. The creative process begins with finding inspiration through a meaningful connection, in this case it was Africa. I have an especially deep connection to Africa, the creatures and people I met during time spent in several African countries constantly re-emerge in my work. My painting is inspired by my memories of such places, where the essential work of charity: water also operates.

CW: Many believe that art and storytelling have the power to drive social change. How do you see your role as an artist in contributing to positive change, and what do you hope viewers will take away from your work regarding the importance of clean water?

CM: Art doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Artists throughout history have chronicled the important issues of their time and now, more than ever, an artist’s role is to hold a mirror up to the major concerns of our era. The international language of art can cut across many boundaries and reach a wider audience with accessible yet vital messages. Sometimes a painting can provide a less polarized talking point and be an extraordinary agent for discourse around momentous and difficult topics on the biggest challenges we face. The subjects I pursue are extremely personal to my identity and value systems, yet they are also universal and reaching a critical tipping point for every individual. I feel very privileged to be in a position to use my work to raise awareness and funds raised from the sale of paintings to benefit the charitable organisations I support, ensuring that my art has a direct connection and a positive effect on the content it speaks about. My personal values, analyses and techniques coalesce with deep research on my subject matter to create ‘Artivism’ in order to spark a positive social and ecological impact. The three figures in my painting for charity: water are girls and women, as they are usually the ones tasked with carrying water. The portrait of the girl drinking clean water from the tap is a symbol of hope. Viewers will immediately understand the disparity between those who must walk to collect and carry water over long distances and those of us who never have a concern about water, but the deep content of my painting is starker and simpler – it’s about life and death.

CW: Can you share any stories or anecdotes from your creative process that highlight the significance of the Jerry Can as a symbol for clean water advocacy? How has working on this art piece and using a Jerry Can as your inspiration or canvas deepened your own understanding of the water crisis?

CM: Before I begin work on any project, I research it thoroughly. I was both shocked by the scale of the water crisis and heartened by the crucial work of charity: water in partnership with local experts and communities. I particularly enjoyed reading stories from the field and noticed the Jerry Can appeared again and again - I knew it had to be an intrinsic part of the painting. As I researched, ideas formed and eventually the final composition crystallised in my mind. My paintings are at the intersection of abstraction and figuration and explore concepts surrounding the hidden and the revealed. The image of the Jerry Can follows this process, consecutively appearing as if in the mind of the central figure, as a precious receptacle on the head of the secondary figure and as an abstract shape in a simultaneous left and right brain activation. The representation of the Jerry Can appears and disappears and is as elusive as clean water for all.

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