"Famine Amid Excess" is an abstract expressionist painting that speaks to the parallels of The Great Famine and modern American greed. During the Famine (1845-1852), Ireland lost 11.1% of its population to starvation, marking it a humanitarian catastrophe. Today, however, 11.3% of the American population lives in poverty and struggles with severe food insecurity, yet this humanitarian crisis is ridiculed and those facing starvation are shamed.
What's more, The Great Famine wasn't an accidental famine at all given Ireland produced enough food to feed its population. However, much of this food was exported to Britain, even as people starved. The famine wasn’t just about a lack of food—it was about who had access to it and how resources were distributed. How does this compare today to China buying an unprecedented amount of American farmland and exporting food?
Greed and systemic failure are always at play in American socioeconomics. At what point will the starved population set fire to the abundance they cannot access?
This 24"x36" original painting comes without a floater frame but is ready to hang and signed with a certificate of authenticity.
