Crude Love from Nature on Clapham Common 1987
The painting Crude Love from Nature on Clapham Common 1987 and photos: 'The Great Storm of 1987 on Clapham Common' and 'Hurricane Common' are part of a series of works and ArtEase workshops called I'm not the whirlwind that surrounds me.
These ArtEase workshops offer participants time to reflect on the importance of diversity and sustainability through making visual art and learning about artists work on trees. This thought-provoking, informative workshop fuses learning about equality, diversity and interfaith with learning about trees and art. Book a workshop today, if you would like your organisation to gain a deeper understanding of the benefits of diversity and inclusion and the value of protecting the environment. Paticipants will also gain from a mindful experience, packed with fun!
Saba is also making paintings about the nature of trees, how they communicate, live and survive in communities, what we can learn from them and their connection to us. These workshops and paintings are inspired by the idea 'in times of war do not uproot the trees', taken from the Abrahamic traditions of Christianity, Islam and Judaism,
The Crude Love collection is about the Great Storm of 1987 and Saba's experiences of Clapham Common both before and after the Storm. Both photographs were taken on Saturday 17th October 1987 the morning after the Great Storm.
'Clapham Common is me. For 18 years, I walked through the common and rode my bike through the trees that were breathing and growing inside me. When it snowed, I skated on the frozen pond, I played tennis in the spring on its courts and picnicked in the grass in summer. My school was also on the Common. Everything changed on Friday, 16th October 1987, the day of the Great Storm, when nature took away some her trees and I experienced her crude love’. (Saba)
Crude Love explores wellbeing and our interdependency with each other and the environment. It is about our growing disconnection with ourselves and nature, resulting in devastating climate changes and the impact that this has on the individual and society. Although, in Britain, we did not literally uproot the trees, trees were taken from us. Nature's reaction, to our misuse of resources, and emotional desensitisation to our environment and each other..
The Crude Love collection examine what it means to be human and question, what is missing from humanity, that we had before industrialisation. The work is hopeful - with realisation about ourselves and nature we can make positive changes.
Crude Love was successfully auctioned for the charity Asian Resource Centre of Croydon and is owned by private collector. We are extremely grateful for this generous purchase.