Sea Bones

Porous, exhibition view, Villa Arson, Nice 2025

Oceans & Biennale des Arts et de l’Océan, curated by TBA21

Organized by TBA21–Academy with the support of the European Commission Initiative S+T+ARTS4Water II

20 PAINTINGS

Each artwork is 20 × 15 cm and 24 × 18 cm | Dimensions for the overall installation are variable

Sea Bones #1, Porous, exhibition view, Villa Arson, Nice 2025

A series of paintings made from limestone, sediment, and crushed shells locally sourced from the coastline region, evoking the once-flourishing port’s wetland that covered the region for over 300 years. The materials and forms in oil paint evoke environmental processes that shape landscapes in transition, with edges and seascapes in motion. These places exist in endless flux, attuned to tidal rhythms, dissolving salt marshes into a series of indeterminate hydrological visions of space, time, and existence.

Sea Bones #2

A direct material presence emerges through collaboration with natural elements. Each artwork is constructed layer by layer, incorporating materials such as paint, sand, charred wood, and dried plant fragments. For McDonald, these materials evoke cycles of decay, transformation, and renewal.

Sea Bones, exhibition view

Sea Bones #3

Sea Bones #4 and #5

Exhibition view

Sea Bones, exhibition poster

Exhibition view with the artist, at Villa Arson