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MEANDERINGS:  SABBATICAL EXHIBIT

 

 “THUS WE LIVE, FOREVER TAKING LEAVE”           RILKE

                         

CHANGE IS MY SUBJECT MATTER; GIVING THAT EXPRESSION IS WHAT I TRY TO

ACCOM PLISH. I AM INTERESTED IN NATURE AND BEHAVIOR OF HOMO

SAPIENS, HOW ONE IS UNDERMINING THE OTHER.

THE VISUAL JUXTAPOSITION OF NATURE TO HUMAN ACTIVITY GETS MY

 ATTENTION, THE DISTURBANCE CREATED WHEN BOTH  INTERSECT.

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO OBSERVE THE REAL WORLD WITHOUT BEING

 AWARE OF IMPERMANENCE AND THE ILLUSORY NATURE OF WHAT WE SEE

WITH OUR EYES.

CHAOS AND DISORDER IS WINNING MY ATTENTION, WHICH IS WHY THE

FLORIDA KEYS WETLANDS BECAME THE SUBJECT OF THE PLEIN AIRE  

SKETCHES IN 2019.

APARENTLY INVASIVE TREES FORMERLY THRIVING IN THE LOWER KEYS ARE

 DYING DUE TO INCREASED SALINITY OF WATERS BY THE GULF ON ONE SIDE

 AND ATLANTIC OCEAN ON THE OTHER.

IRONICALLY THE KEYS FLORA IS BEING RESTORED BY THIS TURN OF EVENTS

CAUSED BY GLOBAL WARMING.

 BEAUTY IS APPARENT IN THE DISTURBED CONDITIONS ON SUMMERLAND

KEY, OR THE RICEFIELDS OF LODI IN CALIFORNIA. ONE CAN SEE THE

GEOMETRY IMPOSED BY MACHINES PLANTING GRAINS  OF RICE, OR THE

 PATTERNS IN THE WETLANDS CREATED BY OLD LEVIES AND IRRIGATION

CHANNELS.

THE CALIFORNIA PAINTINGS FALL INTO THE CATEGORY OF  

EMOTIONAL PROJECTIONS ON THE LANDSCAPE..  CERTAIN PLACES HAVE

SPOKEN TO ME SUCH AS THE SKAGGS ISLAND AREA NEAR VALLEJO, AND

WETLANDS AROUND NOVATO AND PETALUMA.  It is not obvious as to

 WHERE WATER AND LAND MEET; ABSTRACT PATTERNS between the two 

INTERACT AND FASCINATE. 

 

A QUESTION :   ” DOES GRIEF HAVE A LANDSCAPE?  “

“ IS DISTANCE ITSELF A KIND OF LOVE LETTER?”

Maggie Nelson