No Nature Student Article

NO NATURE JANUARY 21, 2022 - MARCH 4, 2022 LONGWOOD ART GALLERY @ HOSTOS POP-UP EXHIBITION 2700 E. TREMONT AVE. BRONX NY10461 GUEST CURATOR RACHEL SYDLOWSKI PARTICIPATING ARTISTS REGIANE DONADIO | KATHERINE EMELY GOMEZ | ALONSA GUEVARA | JESSICA MAFFIA | PALÉN OBESA | SIMA SCHLOSS Alonsa Guevara, Nectar Crown (detail shot), Provided by the Anna Zorina Gallery, 2019, Oil on canvas, 60in x 48in.

The Bronx Council on the Art’s first exhibition of 2022 is one that inspires a deep selfreflection on the onlooker, prompted by the presence of nature. Contrary to its intriguing title, Sydlowksi’s No Nature is a placid retreat from the hustle and bustle of the beloved New York City. It features the works of six amazing artists, with pieces ranging from mixed media to sculpture to embroidery. No Nature encourages the visitor to imagine a garden within the context of the urban landscape of the city. With pieces that reflect the integrity of the natural world, No Nature displays a wide range of textures and narratives.

of flowers or the eyes of insects. Through this piece, it is easy to understand the parallels between spiritual growth and the growth of foliage that blooms from the earth through seasonal change. This piece is a work in progress, and the outlined figure is not fully embroidered, which can be interpreted

“Through the work of these artists, the relationship between humanity and nature becomes clear...”

Nature employs us with the awareness to look within, the way sitting in a public park can inspire introspection. Through the work of these artists, the relationship between humanity and nature becomes clear—as many of the artists depict subjects in the thick of the natural world.

Jessica Maffia, Joy (in progress) detail shot , 2019-present, Embroidery, dye and fabric, 6ft x 3ft

conceptually as room for the personal development of the subject. It says, like all things in nature, growth and change is inevitable for the living.

Another memorable piece in this diverse selection is Antidote by Katherine Emely Jessica Mafia’s Joy (In Progress) is a 6x3 ft Gomez. It is a photo collage of the artist fabric dyed in the outlined shape of a lifeagainst a forest-like backdrop amidst sized embroidered person. The stitching is trees and their shadows. The artist depicts intricate and detailed much like the geometric several reflections of herself interacting and patterns that one would see on the surface experiencing a range of waxing and waning

emotions. There is a note of grief in this piece.

It is a nod to a different sequence of natural change. The complexities of human emotion are shown through a cyclical montage of the artists’ full body portraits. The artist seems to create community with herself

“At their most vulnerable, the subject is closest to their natural self.” by participating in the work as a subject interacting with multiple versions of self.

There is a pensive yet conscious quality in the work. It evokes the message that at their most vulnerable, the subject is closest to their natural self.

There are many ways that human life mimics the movements of earth’s nature. Emotions shift like degrees of the weather, bodies need water and sun like trees, and living things conceive, survive, and then decay. No Nature stitches together a narrative that leans into the elements of change, transformation, and introspection in a way we can all relate to as natural beings. Through the thematic use of nature, these artists bring this relationship between the natural, physical, and spiritual to life.

Written by Student Journalist Kehnya Makena

Katherine Emely Gomez, Antidote, 2021, Digital photography printed on paper, 14in X 9ft.