Perma Culture
Currently under way is work which follows the development of a permaculture garden as a counterpoint to the industrial food machine which dominates the US landscape

ISEA2012: Machine Wilderness
Work will be on view in an Open Studio held on the Taos extension day, September 27, 2012
The Distillery, Taos.

Reap
The Environmental Unsustainability of the
American Food Machine

Exhibition Overview
C Emerson Fine Arts, St Petersburg FL - 10-11.2009

Bitter but beautiful Harvest
Lee Lee's stark style captures anger and elegance among environmental degradation.
by Lennie Bennett, St Petersburg Times

right: Rain - Oil Refinery, detail

Miniatures

Millicent Rogers Museum
February 4 - March 4, 2012
Opening Reception Saturday, February 4, 5:30 PM
1504 Millicent Rogers Rd, Taos, NM 87571

right: "recuerdos", Guatemala - watermedia & tar on torn lithograph

Guatemala

Dairy Center for the Arts
June 22 - July 27, 2012
2590 Walnut Street, Boulder, CO

overview

Starting with stone lithographs of lush forest, these mixed media works on paper were truck-tracked with fresh tar, then torn into small squares. They serve as a foundation that speaks to the situation imposed on the Maya: pushed off their land and treated like slaves on plantation style agricultural production facilities owned by multinational corporations. They fill US demands for cheap commodities which comes at a severe cost to both people and the environment. The texture of tar is an echo of the continuing destructive influence of these corporations. Tar is made from oil which also makes up the petrochemicals used in the style of agriculture that is decimating the environment.

Somehow, Mayan culture is not decimated. They maintain an incredible dedication to tradition, working in harmony with the environment. Ancient customs are manifested through the colorful and intricate weavings which are worn with pride. These portraits are of Mayan women from the highlands market in Chichicastenango. Exploring a wide range of human emotion from being weary and hurt to looking forward with hope, the vignettes are intended to explore the breadth and range of emotional textures in this community.

right: espera - tar, sharpie, watercolor & pencil over torn lithograph

Waves of Change

We have a big problem with plastic pollution in our world now. I’m addressing it through paintings which explore the impact of plastic on our bodies and the environment. Ultimately, my paintings about plastic will be used as an educational tool with the aim of reducing our consumption of single use plastics.

Learn more about the problem of plastics in the oceans by reading about Ocean Gyres & Garbage Patches here

UN Environment Programme
The Plastic Flow: From Waste to Waves

Art from Detritus
Turtles swimming in a Plastic Ocean series included in the Art from Detritus exhibit
Williamsburg Art & Historical Center
135 Broadway - Brooklyn NY
April 24th - May 29th 2011

5.11: A 150,000-Pound Hand-Me-Down. Yay? by Neil Genzlinger, Metropolitan Section of the New York Times

right: turtles swimming in a plastic ocean - watercolor with torched plastic collage

Metropolis

Metropolis is a book of words for children. The words were chosen to reflect the essence of Burning Man. Following Thatcher Gray on his first visit to Black Rock City, the illustrations manifest the event from the perspective of a two year old. He immediately embraced the participatory nature of the community and was delighted to explore the highly interactive art. In the way that children his age are encouraged learn through play, Thatcher Gray seemed to pick up on the fact that the artists and intellectuals who contribute most to the community often present experiments in which they are furthering their own education through play.

right: dust - Black Rock City - watercolor