Alexis Rockman speaking in front of his painting South
Alexis Rockman was one of the first contemporary artists to build his career around exploring environmental issues, from evolutionary biology and genetic engineering to deforestation and climate change. His new exhibition bring together 47 paintings and works on paper from his early works in the mid-1980s to the present.
Earlier this week, Rockman walked through the exhibition with local journalists and discussed how his paintings express his deep concerns about the world's fragile ecosystems and the tension between nature and culture. In 2007, Rockman traveled to the Antarctic Peninsula where he spent twelve days exploring and documenting the "White Continent." The resulting monumental painting titled South, hanging behind him, is an epic panorama of the artist's voyage and the luminous polar landscape.
If you want to get in on the dialogue, curator Joanna Marsh will be leading a tour of the exhibition on December 7, 6 p.m., at the entrance to the exhibition on the third floor of American Art. And on Wednesday, January 12, 7 p.m. Rockman will be speaking about his artistic influences and the impact humans have on our planet as part of our Art and Science Lecture Series.
Alexis Rockman: A Fable for Tomorrow opens today, November 19 and runs through May 8, 2011.
