Continuing through March 10, 2018
“LAND” is a celebration of how we relate to the vast spectrum of nature and how it relates to us, touching on how the artistic and scientific continuously evoke wonder in our lives. Virginia Katz is drawn to the earth’s vast topology. Three large abstract mono-prints depict the endless and soulful abstract markings on the earth’s surface. In her bas relief paintings, Katz builds layers of paint that become individual dimensional forms. She zooms closer to the land for an intimate portrait, capturing our relationship when human and nature interact. Chris Natrop displays enchanting, detailed cut sheets of paper that are vertically hung at various angles. Lit in soft colors, the atmosphere becomes a magical dreamscape, as shapes of light pierce each opening and cast a spell. The site-specific, interactive project of Michael Nannery and Kiyomi Fukui is a wakeup call concerning plant cultivation, land-caring and preservation. In Fukui’s “Apologetic Garden” viewers write notes of regret to eradicate any damage to nature they may have caused. Remorse is the actual planting of a seed allowing new growth to emerge unscathed.
Christine Weir’s graphite drawings on clay panel reference perceptions concerning how life is felt on human and celestial levels — that is, the emotions and upheavals experienced internally by the individual, and externally by the vast universe. Most noticeable are Weir’s masterful drawings. She displays a fine use of line, cutting into panel, with marks emerging that record personal and worldly sensations. Christine Nguyen presents a salt crystal and ceramic display of objects that feel like timeless archaeological specimens. Her practice reveals simultaneous strivings for a personal imprint, but with nature obstinately contributing its own marks. Jennifer Celio’s depictions alternately express conflict or reside harmoniously. Celio sensitively incorporates diverse materials that contrast two- and three-dimensionality, as she lends insight to the contrast and compatibility of the individual and its partner, the land.
