When asked if this painting is about human activity encroaching on paradisiacal lands, the artist explains that “that is one aspect of the painting. I was also attempting to comment on the human condition. I added the bow to the pelican’s neck to add a humanizing aspect (the way we often project human ideals and thought onto animals – pretty as a bird, etc) and how we are constantly using the environment and its other beings to further our own ends and selfish ambitions.” O’Neill notes that the alarming level of consumption is often hidden here in the US “by pretty green lawns and the level of street cleanliness…Basically put a bow on it – it makes it easier to ignore the rubbish hiding underneath.”
