Doug Adams

Oasis comprises a series of collages on canvas focusing on the ecological disaster of the Azraq Oasis, a once vast area of 12, 710 sq. km. located in Jordan's eastern desert. Fed by aquifers draining rainwater into a massive shallow basin, Azraq gushed with water so that it became a crossroads of both human trade routes and extensive bird migrations. But water levels have drastically been reduced in recent decades due to the excessive pumping of water to Amman and the illegal drilling of artisan wells for irrigation purposes. By 1993 the underground springs dried up and the biodiversity of the area was devastated. Since 1994 reclamation efforts have had setbacks due to continuous pumping and only 5.8 per cent of the original oasis has been reclaimed. This series is an interpretation of the concept of the oasis as a haven, a source of water and replenishment and reflects on the disappearance of that natural environment.