It is no mystery that the human race’s course through history has been one of destruction and desolation. To create havoc and waste has become the niche we carry about on this earth. Despite being informed of such and acknowledging the destruction we create most still choose to continue upon this path. If the earth were a balloon, then we humans are its needle. To slowly deplete and drain the earth of its resources and leave carnage in its place is what we are doing. In this respect Wittfooth’s paintings portray just how damaging human nature is to the environment. Martin Wittfooth’s paintings take place in a post-apocalyptic setting in which each scene is void of humans and replaced by the presence of animals. It is in the landscape and detail of these scenes in which Wittfooth asserts his point. While each scene is carefree of human life the fact of human presence still remains. The permanent irrevocable damage we have created is carried through these paintings. The use of scale, color, texture, and realism all contribute in creating the feeling of emptiness in a landscape deprived of its beauty all due to the impact of the human niche. The niche to advance without remorse were destruction and carnag are only byproducts of progress. 

To understand the meaning depicted in this painting we must first understand why Wittfooth chose this medium. Wittfooth chooses to create oil paintings for the way it evokes emotion to those who view it. He is quoted saying “Everywhere and at all times, we’ve been busy making things in our present for the simple purpose of communicating something, and thus sending messages into the future”. Wittfooth chooses oil paintings as his medium as visual text is universal, future generations to come will be able to understand his message and meaning. He even remarks that if there was no one left to view his art than he would not bother to create it. Art to Wittfooth carries importance in what it conveys to others and evokes in human emotion. From this it can be esteemed that Wittfooth chooses the impact of humankind on the natural world due to the prevalence it has now and in the future. 

Going off this universalized idea many resolutions can be found from the painting Stilts in his long series of apocalyptic paintings. Stilts is an abstract piece that exists in the world of reality as are a majority of the paintings by Wittfooth. Wittfooth seems to prefer abstracts as he is able to fit more meaning into one paintings as elements are able to seem out of place. The gazelles in this piece differ from all pieces that Wittfooth has created. Stilts features the only piece in which an animal is mutated and does not retain its original properties. By combining the features of a gazelle with a giraffe Wittfooth is able to increase the grazing ability of this animal and more strongly assert the absence of life and flora from this landscape. It can be inferred from the way that the trees have been cut that they have been stripped merely for their leaves and not deforested in the usual manner. The eerie nature of this scene echoes with human presence while it is a peculiar sight to today’s eyes this scene could have some validity in what the future could entail. 

`The landscape in this painting holds a great deal of detail and meaning if not more than the main objects in the scene. First the whole scene seems to be cloaked by a layer of yellow smog. A smog that we are accustomed to seeing in areas of dense pollution. This smog prods at the idea of global warming and how the entirety of the earth’s atmosphere is slowly becoming more and more polluted. How in the current course of human progress an atmosphere like such is very possible. Along with deforestation it is clear that ample amounts of garbage and litter occupies this landscape. The brilliance of Wittfooth included not only litter in this scene but also copious amounts of children toys mixed in as well. It conveys a message of childhood innocence how the children of tomorrow will suffer for actions we make today and must live in the world we are defiling today. That if we do not stop our current course mankind is doomed to live in a world abundant with waste and pollution. 

The message that Wittfoothe is trying to depict resembles that of the box in the bottom left of the frame. A red box buried in trash seems to have the word help written on it. Wittfooth is resoundingly telling the audience to stop its current course to prevent the destruction of the earth and humankind’s future. He uses the color red to forewarn and change the current course of action. That is why Wittfooth continues to create art that aludded to the destruction of the environment. He hopes that he can evoke people to change their lifestyle to on that better the environment instead of harming it. 
