OMA's Artist Alliance is excited to present 168 artworks by 25 artists selected by Chuck Thomas in their first exhibition at TECHNE Art Center in Oceanside, San Diego.
Flora and Fauna features both abstract and representational artworks inspired by the natural world. The gallery explodes in color and form with an overwhelming sensory overload of work and presentation. One can almost see and smell a real botanical garden surrounding us as the show unfurls and explodes in a lush rapture of exuberance. The diversity of works highlights the changing styles, iconography, and expansiveness in the current contemporary art world.
As a show which is celebrating many talented artists exploring their own unique visions, the exhibition takes particular care to emphasize the interconnections between art, nature, and society. Striving for truth, the artists in the exhibition reject the artifice, instead championing authentic perspectives derived from the study of nature and their own unique interpretations. Many of the works do not make obvious references to the natural world, the natural world instead being a springboard to their own unique visions, something joyously evident here.
The exhibition is grounded in the naturalist tradition that started at the turn of the century and continues to thrive today. Many early illustrations helped popularize the pastime of birdwatching and cultivate nationwide interest in wildlife conservation. In today’s world, pressing concerns like climate change, land conservation, and endangered species protection have renewed the importance of chronicling environmental challenges through art.
The depiction of flora and fauna first appeared in medieval sacred text manuscripts. As artists copied existing illustrations rather than drawing from life, the depictions became increasingly stylized and unrecognizable over time. The earliest natural botanic illustrations appeared in ancient medical texts, helping to identify plants with medicinal properties.
Throughout history, artist and explorers sought to better understand their environment. Works in this exhibition reveal that the development of an artist’s style is often a very personal relationship between oneself and the incredible world that surrounds us.
TECHNE is an artist-run gallery in Oceanside, San Diego that amplifies the voices of committed artists working in diverse media from around the world. With one of the most impressive exhibition spaces in North County, TECHNE has quickly become one of most dynamic art destinations in the greater San Diego area.
-Jason Clay Lewis
