BLACK & BLUE is the second in a series
of publications by The Light Collective showcasing
fine art and conceptual imagery in this high quality
limited run book illustrating the modern relationship
between Coal and Coral.

10% of the total sales will be donated directly
to the Australian Marine Conservation Society
for the conservation and protection
of The Great Barrier Reef.

For the second chapter of the ongoing
RGB (Red, Green, Blue) Project we initially
set out to focus purely on the immense beauty
and grandeur of the largest living structure on Earth
and one of the great natural wonders of the world,
the Great Barrier Reef.
A global icon of the purest blue.

However, the reef has suffered catastrophic losses
in recent years from recurring bleaching events
caused by rising ocean temperatures, and
after deeper consideration, it seemed
almost socially irresponsible not to
address this as part of the project.

The immense degradation of the reef
presents us with one of the most tangible
and undeniable illustrations of the kind
of impacts global warming holds for us,
an unmistakable warning shot over the bow…

And consequently, we have chosen to juxtapose
the adjacent coal mining industry with the
Great Barrier Reef as symbols for a larger
global conversation in order to ask
an important question;
can we find a sustainable balance between
the continued extraction and consumption
of fossil fuels and the well-being of our
great natural ecosystems?
Can they co-exist?

By placing these two opposing natural
resources with a common link together,
we are being asked and challenged to
acknowledge the relationship between
one of the potential causes and
effects of climate change.

Our intention is to create meaningful
conversation, bring deeper awareness
and motivate responsible action and
accountability in an important time in
our Earth's natural history. We are on
the knife's edge as a civilisation of
maintaining a sustainable relationship
with the Earth's natural ecosystems.
And their destruction or conservation
is being determined by our actions in
this moment, not years down the track.

We hold the fate of this planet’s well-being
squarely in our hands. We are its custodians
and the impending death of over half of
the Great Barrier Reef is a genuine call to action.

Will we choose the path of hope and empowered,
informed decision-making and responsible action,
or one of complacency and potentially ultimate despair?

Our actions or in-actions, both collectively
and individually will shape our future and
create the legacy we leave behind
for the generations to come.

96 pages, A4 Landscape, Printed cover
and printed wrap around dust jacket.
Printed on carbon neutral and
sustainably sourced paper.

https://www.thelightcollective.com.au/rgb-book/

The New Tradition

The Light Collective