‘Commentary on Land’ exhibit inspires locals to help improve the environment

Madeleine Powell

Copy Editor

In a world of technology and increasing urbanization, the natural world falls further into the back of people’s minds. However, the newest exhibit at the Manhattan Beach Art Center, “Terra Firma: A Photographic Commentary on Land,” reminds visitors of nature’s true beauty.

The exhibit features entertaining interactive elements, impressing viewers with its variety of perspectives and juxtaposition of modern and historical pieces from the 19th century.

Cultural Arts Director Martin Betz created the exhibit, which features the  works of artists such as Robert Glenn Ketchum, Lowell Nickel, Jacalyn Lopez Garcia, Nicholas Caesar Colon, Anita Bunn and Fatimeh Burnes. Opened on Aug. 17, the exhibit comments on the current state of the environment and inspires visitors to protect their habitat.

Ketchum’s works are highlighted throughout the exhibit and his photography has helped create 11 designated wilderness areas in Alaska, prevented a proposed mine from being built and placed 250,000 acres into conservation easements.

Ketchum’s most dynamic works in this exhibit are four kaleidoscopic photos of natural landscapes, which are dye-sublimated onto aluminum and cut into distinct shapes. At first glance, the images appear to be a collection of colors and lines, but further examination reveals natural settings reflected to create symmetrical pieces which perplex and impress viewers.

“Terra Firma” features hands-on-works such as Nickel’s “Faux Stone Project Rocks,” realistic rock sculptures that visitors are encouraged to pick up. Inside the hollow rocks are smaller objects which clink together within the sculpture, providing both texture and sound and engaging visitors.

The various works throughout the exhibit provide a unique viewing experience as well as numerous artists’ perspectives on the state of the environment. Anita Bunn’s bright pastel prints feature softer elements of the natural world, such as flowers and trees. Conversely, Nickel’s works are darker both in color and message, featuring a depiction of the future of the world’s consumerism and population. This contrast ensures that visitors are thoroughly enticed due to the change in color and opinion throughout the exhibit.

“Graceful Branch Movement,” an embroidery panel created by multiple unnamed artists, hangs from the ceiling and is the most admirable work in the exhibit due to its impressive attention to detail. The two-sided panel features vibrant hues of gold, orange and green woven together to form a sheer, glittering fall tree. The colors of the piece shift and change depending on how the light hits it, creating an intricate and remarkable double-sided image.

“Terra Firma: A Photographic Commentary on Land” features a number of unique perspectives on the natural world, both modern and historical. The exhibit highlights numerous mediums while allowing visitors to interact with certain works.

The Manhattan Beach Art Center is located at 1560 Manhattan Beach Blvd. Admission to “Terra Firma: A Photographic Commentary on Land” is free, and the exhibit closes on Oct. 14.