My work is primarily about the evolution of humankind as an animal and our impact on the natural world specifically in regard to all other sentient beings. Our dynamic set of consumer driven compulsions sharply contrasts with the primal instincts of other species which have remained largely unchanged over recorded history. I continue to be inspired by the way in which other animals exist autonomously, with behaviors driven almost entirely by necessity and survival. They flourish in a capacity above greed, materialism, or vanity and do so without ever exhausting their resources. I am deeply unsettled by the incongruence of our two worlds. These dissonant approaches to life are never more evident than in our global exploitation of the earth as a resource, and it’s sentient beings as commodities and objects. Unlike our ancestors, we no longer have to rely on animals for food, clothing, or shelter, yet their oppression at this point in history is unrivaled.
 
I explore color, texture, and surface manipulation in an allusion to the beauty of nature. The animals and symbols rendered within these surfaces serve as reminders that we still have much to learn from our fellow inhabitants.


                                                                                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                                           Aaron Wood/Hollywood Indian
                                                                                                                                                                                  - St. Louis, Missouri