Settlement

At some point, the organic curves of nature invariably run up against the hard edges of humanity. Whether seen as progress or destruction, that encounter becomes a signpost of the pioneer spirit in humankind and marks a contrast between the manufactured and the natural. The seven artists whose works come together in Settlement have chosen this point of overlap, the transition point between natural and manufactured, as their subject. As the title suggests, these images do not portray a perfect cohabitation with nature, but rather reveal the intention to adapt the environment to one more suitable for human habitation.

Listen to a Kemper ARTcast related to the exhibition.

Above: Greg Rose, Tropicalia, 2003; oil and alkyd on canvas on wood panel, 47.5 x 47.5 inches; Museum purchase, Barbara Uhlmann Memorial Fund 2003.15