Brenda Kim Christiansen, BFA, MFA

In contemporary Western culture, the individual’s sense of relationship to the land has become increasingly distant, both with regards to our own lives and in an understanding of our impact upon the environment. Knowledge of environmental catastrophes is generally mediated through brief encounters via diverse media. Urban eyes and mind experience the environment through quick roving glances, taking in the particulars, as opposed to the panoramic. The choice to portray intimate exposures of landscapes capitalizes on this way of looking. In contrast, the painting’s surface facilitates a slower mode of analysis by creating a contemplative space that facilitates the forging of connections.

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