Mangroves with Egret
Landscape was a typical subject for artists working in the 1980s, a period that was dominated by realist painters who sought to capture the picturesque local environment. Here, Abbott focuses on a small cluster of mangrove roots on the shoreline and a scattering of budding shoots in the foreground, emphasising the resiliency of this remarkable species. The presence of a solitary egret, a wading bird commonly sighted foraging for food at the fringes of Cayman’s mangroves, points to the delicate ecosystem that this critical environment supports, and a reminder of the need to protect it for future generations.
About the Artist
Moira Abbott
b. 1945
Moira Abbott studied textile design at Manchester College of Art, United Kingdom, and worked as a conservation officer at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, before moving to Jamaica in the 1970s and then to the Cayman Islands in 1983 to teach art. She became an active member of the Visual Arts Society and was a prolific artist from the 1980s until the early 1990s. Her work has been featured in several NGCI exhibitions, including Tropical Visions (2019), and Terra Botanica (2021).