CLIMARTE

The Scrolls is a continuous art project. Artist Sharon Field draws a species of earth on a long scroll every day, with the commitment to continue until Earth Day in 2030. She hopes to “tell a story with a lasting impact.” After a long career in the Australian Public Service—including many years living and working in Papua New Guinea as well as on humanitarian programs in Africa and the Pacific—in 2009 Sharon Field left her job to become a full-time artist. Having also served for 20 years as a volunteer firefighter protecting Ngunnawal and Ngambri lands (also known as the area around Canberra, the location of Australia’s Federal Government), Sharon had become acutely aware of the interconnected global climate and biodiversity crises and is an exceptional communicator on all its manifestations. Haunted by visions of distressed ecosystems and confronted by the scientific facts in the United Nations IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (2021)—including the scale of work that needs doing to transition to zero emission energy systems while drawing down excess carbon from the atmosphere before 2030—Sharon counted the days: 3,000. So, Sharon set herself a challenge; to make a drawing or painting every day for the next 3,000 days. For the medium’s powerful classical references, Sharon chose Scrolls for her ongoing project. Through viewings and presentations she is seeking to engage as many people as possible to join her in doing everything in their power to halt the damage and begin healing ecosystems.