| Man-made Edens have been with us since biblical times.
They are necessarily contained spaces where the imagination is freed;
borders keep the rest of the world from encroachment. However, the
attempt to recapture paradise is one of mixed success. While the garden
provides us with a place to play, to contemplate, to restore oneself, it
can also be a site of loneliness and despair–a reminder of that original
lost innocence.
The development and
changing styles of the garden and
the notion of paradise have been as
integral to cultural points of view as
art, literature, poetry, and philosophy.
Likewise, in its relatively short
history, photography has reflected
the diversity of the human environment.
By looking at the concept of
paradise and the garden through the
photographic lens, Picturing Eden will
highlight the ongoing significance of
a humanistic, culturally charged environment
and its place in the history
of art.
The exhibition of 153 works will feature 37 national and
international artists that include Maso Yamamoto, Lyle Gomes, Izima
Kaora, Michael Kenna, Sally Mann, Han Nguyen, Mike and Doug Starn, Ruud
Van Empel, Michael Parekowhai, Ed Dimsdale, Jo Whaley, and Jiri Sigut.
Available through the publisher
is a 176-page color catalog
that includes a conversation about
paradise and the visual image with
Merry Foresta of the Smithsonian;
Louise Mozingo, UC Berkeley; and
award-winning author Rebecca Solnit.
Deborah Klochko is guest curator
and author.
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Ruud Van Empel (Dutch, b. 1958). UNTITLED #1, 2004. Cibachrome print.
© 2002 Ruud Van Empel. |
