A pinecone from the jack pine is a curious specimen. It can remain dormant on the tree’s branches for decades. There it waits for cataclysm to strike in the form of a forest fire. The resin-coated cones can withstand intense heat, which only melts the outer layer of the pinecone and releases the stubborn seeds from within. Later, they tumble to the ground and life begins anew.
For New Mexico painter Michael Scott, there is beauty in this relationship between fire and nature, one that he is exploring at great depth within an ongoing series of work titled Preternatural, a name that he borrows from 13th-century philosopher Thomas Aquinas—“Suspended between the mundane and the miraculous, it is that which appears outside or beside the natural,” Aquinas wrote. “Fire is attached psychologically to the human spirit.
It can be respite. It can be a meditation or a dream in front of the fire in the kiva. It can be a pondering of life. The same kind of fire that destroys also replenishes,” Scott says from his Santa Fe studio. He recalls a trip he took to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, where he witnessed fire ravage the land. “It wasn’t blazing but it was quite intense. It was intense enough that I couldn’t leave the Grand Canyon once I was there. That trip really impacted a number of my early fire paintings. But I don’t want people to view this series as one of destruction. There is a spiritual component, especially with how nature heals itself and makes itself healthier.”
Denne historien er fra January 2021-utgaven av American Art Collector.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra January 2021-utgaven av American Art Collector.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
FULL EXPOSURE
Photographer Conor Martin documents the present using photographic methods of the past.
Autumnal Light
The landscapes and nature scenes of painter Jennifer Sowders are irresistibly tactile, filled with varying textures that seem to leap off the canvas.
Art for All
Members of Art Dealers Association of America come together for a philanthropic affair.
Modern Marketplace
Redwood Art Group brings together the San Diego region for another class-act celebration of contemporary artwork.
An Enchanting Evening
Scottsdale Artists’ School knows how to throw an art party.
Timeless Tales
Soft, warm undertones underscore the mood of enchantment that runs through Nom Kinnear King’s paintings.
Next Exit New York
Coming off his series that focused on San Francisco and Los Angeles freeway signs, artist Eric Nash’s sights are now set on New York. Now on view at George Billis Gallery's Manhattan location are seven of Nash's new oil paintings and two drawings that explore the signage of New York City freeways. Although Nash's work is tightly rendered, he doesn’t consider himself a photorealist, but rather someone who utilizes those techniques to express ideas.
Monster Mash
Vampires, witches, ghouls and all things that go bump in the night are the theme of the exhibition Monster Mash, now at Abend Gallery.
Inside/Outside
Those familiar with Geoffrey Johnson's populated by inky figures and trailing shadows that bleed into the wet streets, and architectural elements obscured to varying degrees by the misty atmosphere.
Bold Figures; Bold Color
For Brooklyn based painter J Louis, it’s all about balance, which can mean many different things in a composition, but for Louis, it’s about balancing his female figures among a unique landscape of color.
