David Parr House presents Problems of Success, an exhibition of paintings by Freddie Yauner that highlight the correlation between human progress and environmental decline through the lens of industrialised agriculture.
Yauner started painting with pollen as a response to the global crisis arising as a result of land grabs and intensive farming. Pollen deposits in soil bear witness to the loss of forests, wetlands and grasslands and record the change from biodiversity to monocultures. The yellow pigment adds a nostalgic quality to paintings of early agricultural machinery and farming scenes. These are complemented by text based works written in William Morris' iconic typeface, some quoting the artist others referencing academic papers written on the subject.
The exhibition takes place during Freddie Yauner's annual homage to William Morris. Growing his hair and beard to emphasise their physical resemblance, he has been immersing himself into Morris' creative philosophies for the first quarter of the year since 2020.
He follows in the footsteps of David Parr whose dedication to craftsmanship and artistry is evident throughout the house which the painter decorated in his spare time to match the Victorian splendour he helped create for his wealthy clients.