"Perspective XXIV, XXV, XXVIII, XXVII" 2023

Solomon Booth  
Aboriginal and Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait Island) peoples. Born 1981. Lives and works in Kubin Village, Moa Island, Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait), Queensland. 
 
"Perspective XXIV, XXV, XXVIII, XXVII"  2023 
monotypes on Belgian linen 
 
Courtesy of the artist and Moa Arts, Moa Island. 
 
 
Solomon Booth’s monotype prints emerge from the ocean spaces surrounding Moa Island situated in the western Islands of the Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait). In this series, the vibrant marine blues trace Booth’s Mualgal ancestry with earthy hues that connect to his Aboriginal Kaurareg cultural lineage. Building on ancestral carving practices, Booth’s meticulous mark-making combines Zenadth Kes cultural designs with representations of sea life and the increasing ocean pollution. The prints seem to depict jellyfish floating among Waru (green sea turtle); with their translucent forms, they are like spectral beings. On closer inspection, they are revealed to be plastic bags that mimic the graceful form of jellyfish moving through the ocean. Jellyfish serve as indicators of ocean health due to their sensitivity to environmental changes and their ability to concentrate pollutants. Booth explains: 

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"Plastic bags are detrimental to the environment and may often be mistaken for jellyfish, which are a food source for the Waru (green sea turtle). Waru can be found throughout the waters of Zenadth Kes and have been an important part of our people's diet for thousands of years. For the sake of our people and future generations, it is important for everyone to look after our environment."