Brethren II is a response to the numerous military conflicts currently ongoing in the world. It employs the repetitive motif of a 155-millimeter artillery shell, one of the common weapons used in contemporary conflict. Unlike the lethal originals the shells in Brethren, formed using a now defunct Australian shell, is made of recycled aluminum cans. The choice of the material relates to the high rate of consumerism of fast foods and brand label produce in 21st century western society. The use of the motif of the artillery shell implies the potentially destructive nature of this consumption, in particular our use of resources that are not recycled and so are ultimately damaging to our environment. The work is titled Brethren to hint at our inter-dependent relationship with the natural world, sustainable actions on our behalf will support our own survival, much as we work to support the lives of our own brethren.
