Messums London is thrilled to announce an upcoming group exhibition at Cork Street Gallery which considers the individual and collective response to environment as represented in landscape painting today. This exhibition delves into the dynamic realm of contemporary painting through the lens of artists who reimagine and experience the natural world through their practices. Landscapes are a potent medium for exploring the intricate symbiotic relationship we have with nature and how, through painting, our perspectives can change to reflect this.
Our curatorial approach aims to draw together perceptions of landscape through the eyes of artists who experience, observe, and appreciate it, demonstrating how understanding through observation can lead to different value systems of perceived beauty. The deeper purpose to not only reflect this beauty but to invite the viewer to reconsider their own interactions with the environment. With a range of art forms that address everything from ecological issues to envisioning harmonious coexistence, the exhibition underscores art’s vital role in fostering awareness and inspiring change in our engagement in the world around us.
The selection process was based on a range of criteria rather than individual merit to look at the conversation in deeper context with critical thinking to explore how landscape and our collective wellbeing mirror each other. Above all considering the entwined nature of our relationship with the environment celebrated through the marks we make. With a spirit of resilience, we echo Pablo Neruda’s sentiment: “You can cut all the flowers, but you can’t keep spring from coming.” This exhibition celebrates the green force that flows through us all while recognizing the consequences that can occur when we make wrong assumptions about nature.
ARTISTS SELECTED – Cork Street gallery: Cara Campbell, Liz Elton, Jonathan Freemantle, Adrian Gardner, Kate Giles, Jelly Green, Tyga Helme, Elle Jackson, Harry Martin, Sophie Mason, Peter Matthews, Francesco Poiana, Claudia Pons Bohman, Mary Spicer
Image (top): Kate Giles ‘Different Trains (Reflection)’ 2023, Oil on board, diptych, 38 x 64 cm
