A glimpse into the future is captured in a new exhibition at the Lake District home of English writer, philosopher, art historian and art critic John Ruskin.
Gerry Davies, a Senior Lecturer from Lancaster University's Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts, has collaborated with Brantwood, home of Victorian polymath John Ruskin, to produce an exhibition of new drawings.
Entitled 'Mr Ruskin, One Day Someone Will Scuba Dive Over Your House', the exhibition of drawings re-imagines Brantwood, now an historic house and a vibrant centre for the arts on the shores of Coniston Water, submerged as a consequence of climate change and sea level rise.
John Ruskin had a lifelong commitment to nature, environments and drawing and, in his 1884 lecture text 'The Storm Cloud of the Nineteenth Century', gave a very early warning of climate change.
Looking out over his beloved Coniston Water he saw a 'plague cloud' of industrial pollution blighting skies, sunsets and sunrises, some likely to have drifted from Lancaster mills and factories.
Gerry Davies, a lecturer in fine art, drawing and sculpture at Lancaster University, drew and photographed Brantwood's main rooms, its historic artefacts and even went behind the scenes to the cellars, the back stairs and staff offices to capture the full picture.
His sketches and impressions were then transformed into larger drawings which imagine the consequences of climate crisis at this site of cultural significance.
"The title is an audience grabber," explains Gerry. "That's because climate crisis is so overwhelmingly serious and difficult to comprehend, it's frightening and hard to imagine.
"So, I'm trying to touch the topic lightly, with great care and concern, but creatively and in a way audiences can engage with."
He added: "Situating climate change in a specific place really helps bring home what it might look like for me and you. If we visualise our own home submerged, it's a powerful illustration of what it already means for people on Pacific islands and in the Ganges Delta."
'Mr Ruskin, One Day Someone Will Scuba Dive Over Your House' can be seen in The Blue Gallery at Brantwood.
The exhibition runs from October 5 to November 11. It is open every day from 10am to 5pm. Entry is included in house admission fee.
