“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul” ― John Muir
Throughout history nature has been an integral source of inspiration for artists. From the cave paintings of Lascaux, to the En Plein Air of the Impressionists and the organic sinuosity of Art Nouveau, artists have continually circled back to the most primal references and grounding forces that give rise to their creations.
Nature’s influence is still at work today, as is clearly seen in the oeuvres of the artists represented at Carpenters Workshop Gallery. In an industrial world, driven by algorithms and capitalism, we seek refuge in the ethereal, we strive for the visceral and the tangible, we retreat to nature to incite our minds, grow our spirits and forge a deeper connection with the world around us.
PRIMAL ELEMENTS highlights themes of the Celestial, the Telluric, the Animalistic and the Biomorphic. Earth, wind, fire and water are the primal elements that drive not only the production of each work, materially and physically, but also the conceptual narrative behind each work in this exhibition. Now, more than ever, we have realized that we are not above the greater global ecosystem. And, if we wish to persevere and perpetuate our human existence, we must honor our world and live in tandem with it.
This dual group exhibition, simultaneously spanning the East and West Coasts within Carpenters Workshop Gallery’s New York and San Francisco galleries, brings forth an immersive experience that reconnects us with Nature and the fundamental need to coalesce as one.
-- Ashlee Harrison, Director, US, Carpenters Workshop Gallery
View the tour
