Guest Curator | Curious Nature
Curious Nature
2018 Alumni Triennial Exhibition
The Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art
Portland, ME
August 3 - September 15, 2018
Curious Nature brings together a diverse group of artists who draw inspiration from the natural world. Employing various mediums, from painting to sculpture, photography, and installation, their works are rooted in the act of looking closer.
The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness. - John Muir
These artists explore our relationship with the natural world through investigating the structure of reality, daily rhythms, beauty, texture, and emergent patterns. Focusing their attention on places and processes that are often overlooked, they illuminate the various forces affecting ecosystems and the environment that surrounds us. Their perspectives range from the micro and macro, revealing new views of familiar terrain. In an attempt to capture that which is in a state of constant transformation, they record their surroundings, yielding works that inspire our own sense of awe, inviting us to both celebrate nature and protect it. - Guest Curator, Shannon Rankin ’97.
Rankin’s selections include fifteen artists exhibiting diverse works that range from painting, printmaking and photography, to sculpture, ceramics, metalwork and installation. Artists include: Annika Early MFA ’16 (Portland, ME), Kristin Fitzpatrick (West Kennebunk, ME), Danielle Gerber ’12 (Portland, ME), Alisha Gould MFA ’10 (Kennebunk, ME), Kayla Goulden ’13 (Portland, ME), Lenka Konopasek MFA ’01 (Salt Lake City, UT), Mark Marchesi ’99 (Portland, ME), Tessa Green O'Brien MFA ’16 (South Portland, ME), Isabelle O'Donnell ’17 (Portland, ME), Catherine Quattrociocchi ’17 (Portland, ME), Sam Richardson ’15 (Portland, ME), Celeste Roberge ’79 (South Portland, ME), Bryan Stryeski MFA ’01 (Brooklyn, NY and Avon, CT), Sarah Camille Wilson ’07 (Burlington, VT) and Charley Young MFA ’14 (Halifax, NS).
Images courtesy of the Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art. Photography by Kyle Dubay