Two Kinds of Nature
On View: July 1 - September 28, 2023
In a playful way, we are referring to Two Kinds of Nature: the nature that is the natural world and the nature, or disposition, of a living being. Each is an important part of our lived experience and both natures have the potential to bring a sense of restoration and calm in a world full of stressors large and small. The two artists represented here are representing two expressions of creativity and nature. The fantastic world of Holly Wood is irreverent, joyful and strange. Her animals are original, expressive, and other worldly. The ornithological world of Fernand Brunschwig brings surprise and wonder at the diversity of life that he has captured in our backyard, in Central Park. The exhibition is a display of two skilled artists as well as a display of two perspectives involving animals and local wildlife. It inspires one to remember that there are different points of view. And this is exactly what we turn to art for: a way to enjoy our fellow beings while deepening our compassion with humor, beauty and grace.
Holly Wood attended Pratt Institute for two years, but mainly learned to paint by looking at books, observing her painter husband Jim Wood, going to museums and watching the world - in the great school that is New York City. After she moved to Santa Fe in 1969, she was inspired by the light, space, landforms and culture of the South West. “My subject matter is inspired by daily life, news stories, history, politics and my own vivid dreams, features a mix of humans with other animal characters playing parts of equal importance and often switching roles. I want to put the observer in a place where they are made to consider things that may never have occurred to them”.
Wood is represented in Santa Fe, NM at Keep Contemporary, in Los Angeles, CA at Cactus Gallery. She has shown at art expos and solo and group shows in NYC and Miami Beach, and has work in private collections throughout the US, Mexico, Japan, and Austria.
Fernand Brunschwig moved to New York City with his family in 1980. His early passion for photography converged with walks in the Central Park, which turned out to be “a world-class birding hot-spot,” especially in the spring and fall migrations. Brunschwig has traveled broadly and this collection shows a wide array of birds in their natural environments. He notes simply that, “birds are both beautiful and interesting” and this group of images conveys this. This small selection of local birds was taken in Central Park between 2018 - 2023.
