Overwhelming Nature

Overwhelming Nature is the title of my solo exhibition at Leon Gallery in 2024. The show was inspired by the oppressive density of the natural world and made heavy use of detail, repetitive elements, and complex organic patterns and forms to invite viewers to experience a sense of awe, not only in nature, but in the art form itself. 

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Some of the works were based on photos I took during a trip to the Oregon coast with my partner Emily and our dog Leo. I had never spent time in that environment, and it had a profound effect on me. The sheer bigness of everything struck me, humbled me, and I felt a need to come to grips with it all in some way.

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It was also a time of great blessings, but also many more responsibilities. My art career had started picking up and suddenly I found myself overwhelmed with creative commitments: all good, but daunting, and I wasn't sure if I could handle it all. It was all beautiful, but oppressive still. 

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Nature is that way, too. It can be too much, it can make you feel like the world is on your back, like a mollusk finding its bit of rock among crowds of aquatic fauna and the sea's crashing waves.