Exhibition Opening Reception: In Ruin

In Ruin addresses the unspoken beauty of ruin we see in nature and the manmade world around us. Nature, in all its forms, is raw and unforgiving yet intense and so full of life. When impeded by urban life, nature continues to find a way to survive. Architecture, as immortal as it may be, is constantly being challenged by nature’s persistence and resilience.

Artist Rick Lewis and Seth Clark address the haunting power of nature in their work, layering materials and mediums to create abstracted impressions of the world we are so familiar with. Rolling hills, shorelines, industrial buildings, and urban structures are seen through a raw lens, encouraging viewers to see beyond the layers of clutter and understand the beautiful yet ferocious power of our environment. Human negligence can easily be seen in these works, but the unforgiving force of nature is something to be revered and exalted.

Lewis’ abstract works appear still, their purposeful lines and textures intriguing viewers to look deeper. Beneath the calm surface lies the turbulent energy of nature in all its forms, its colors, weight, and movements all working together to create a unique relationship between space, time, the environment, and out urban world.

Clark’s collage works emit a sense of foreboding as the structures stand frozen in time. The crumbling urban structures have an eerie yet gentle resolve as their sense of permanence is overshadowed by nature’s power, encouraging viewers to see ruin in a new light. The reality of our manmade world is crumbling before our feet, and yet there is beauty in the stillness.

The relationship between nature and our manmade world is one of give and take. As our urban structures morph and destroy the environment, nature’s power retaliates and transforms it into a new form of beauty.