From March 24 to Thursday, April 24 the San Diego Mesa College Art Gallery is displaying unique works by painters Jennifer Anne Bennett and Jeanne Dunn in a presentation, Into the Woods: Resplendent. These painters have been selected for their unique perspective of the illustration of landscapes and human connection with nature.
Bennett is an art professor at Grossmont College and has two bodies of work featured in the gallery. Her art style took inspiration from the healing experience of Japanese forest-baths. This style makes her work appear more textured which is visible in the brush strokes.
According to the plaque featured at the entrance of the gallery, Bennett says, “I want to create a visual space where we can enter, explore, daydream, rendezvous with a lover or friend, enjoy music, or encounter the unexpected. Whether driving to it, hiking through it, or sleeping under it, there is something primal about the natural terrain, tall trees in a dense forest, or wildfires in the countryside.”
Bennett wanted to create a perspective of putting oneself in nature and visualizing the light coming through the surroundings. Her use of fluorescent colors and glitter were meant to illustrate the feeling of being in a forest with a glimmer of sunlight peeping through the trees.
Dunn was a former art professor at San Diego State University and then relocated to Los Angeles in 2012. Her featured works are a combination of vibrant hues and high contrast to display her landscapes.
“My bold colors and semi-realistic forms take their cue from the sensory immersion and individual experiences in a lush forest. Walking in the woods is healing to the mind and body,” Dunn said.
Something that was incorporated into Dunn’s work is the talk about human interventions in the landscapes. In her piece, Risk It All tire marks in the terrain are visible to show reference to human impact and human developments are causing damages to the forests.
Both painters used contemporary interpretations on a traditional concept of nature and how it is portrayed in art form in order for the viewer to question sensibility. It gives viewers a new perspective on how to perceive art’s relationship with nature through the colors and brush strokes.
The art gallery is hosting an Artist talk event with both painters on Tuesday, April 22 at 5 p.m.. For more information about the exhibit and the art gallery, visit https://www.sdmesa.edu/art-gallery or contact the gallery at (619) 388-2829.
