Inside Out

Old eyes penetrate the illusive. They see and reveal. Lit from the inside, they offer rare insight into the real. The windows of the soul project and reflect, affecting anyone who dares to gaze into their mellanated depths. Artist Martin Grizzell presents four sets of old eyes - Fever, Data Entry, Forward Thinking, Lush Life - processing the cycle of life from the safety of a forest environment.

Most of Earth's forests have disappeared or are endangered. A fortunate few have escaped this fate. The Bwindi Impenetrable National Forest of Uganda is in this number. It is a "Reserve" for the mountain gorillas living in the high places.

But what of the human inhabitants who once shared this forest region with their animal kingdom neighbours for tens of thousands of years without wars, fights over property lines and the threat of social upheaval.

They have been evicted. These human unfortunates are dispossessed of land and livelihood. Nationless. The poorest of the poor. The wretched of the earth.

The Batwa People of Central Africa inspire the Old Eyes Collection. The Batwa lived in their ever-shrinking natural habitat until relatively recently. Consequently, collective amnesia has not taken hold.

Old Eyes preserve the memory of balance. Old Eyes retain hope. Old Eyes dance with enchantment and radiant colour, locked in natures waltz and embrace. They see from the inside out.