Park Row Gallery News

"...This world is indeed a living being endowed with a soul and intelligence ... a single visible living entity containing all other living entities, which by their nature are all related."
---Plato, Timeus, 29/30; 4th century B.C.

"Anima Mundi," A two-person exhibition of photographs by Joel Seaman and paintings by Roberta Wilson, will be on view at Park Row Gallery July 9 through August 15th. An opening reception with the artists will be held July 18 from 4 to 6 p.m.

According to Seaman, Anima Mundi is a philosophy dating back to ancient times that theorizes a pure, ethereal spirit resides in all things.

Meant to be viewed as landscapes more than still life, Seaman's photographs are known for their exploration of the interrelatedness of the natural and industrial world. He often uses found objects, including taxidermy, to set up a tableau that examines the natural world through a lens that suggests a time continuum.

"My imagery references the history of pictures from paintings and illustrations through contemporary advertising and media images. My conversation is about the present, seen through the past, concerning the future. These images are a conjunction of traditional landscape, still life, and wildlife genres which reference our current state of affairs."

Also included in this show are pieces from his Apple series, completed in 2008, which depicts heritage fruit in all their misshapen beauty.

By contrast, Roberta Wilson's paintings infuse a deeply felt, non-sentimental understanding of animals with evocative images that challenge the viewer to assess their own animal nature.

Wilson's works on paper are created from her handmade egg tempera paint, a technique that often takes months to complete. The process of painting with egg tempera is precise, resulting in renderings that may evolve dramatically over the time it takes to apply the 50 or 60 layers of paint she uses to create them.

"Although I begin with an animal in a natural setting, it eventually becomes symbolic of my psychological state. Not surprisingly, the final image may represent something internal, that I have yet to become aware of. What results are animals whose nature is animalistic and highly personal without becoming anthropomorphous."

Wilson's work with animals extends across her career, including research for her MFA thesis that explored the human psyche through the early artistic depictions of unseen beasts and sea monsters.

To view the works of artist Joel Seaman, visit him on the web at www.joelseaman.com.