George Bolster originally trained as a painter which can be detected in the rich colours and compelling surfaces of his turn to tapestry in recent years. Depicting landscape imagery from the US, the works also have a cinematic quality in both the epic views and their familiarity as backdrops to many Hollywood westerns. The Impermanence of Protection: Big Bend National Park is an installation in the manner of a panorama, a format that dates from the eighteenth century and was intended to provoke awe in viewers due to being enveloped by the scene or event. However, close examination here reveals worn surfaces or the threadbare. This is analogous to not only the effects of climate change but also how the area he depicts, on the border of the US with Mexico, has been under the threat of a rescinding of legal protections. The accompanying film gives a detailed account of this threat, while also providing an evocative account of the long history of the landscape.

BAB 2024 acknowledges Culture Ireland for their support with the participation of this artist.