Shifting Landscapes: Exploring the Interplay of Humans and Nature through Art

Embodied Landscapes

Humans have historically depicted their bodies as landscapes, a means of orientation and existential connection. The Whitney's "Shifting Landscapes" exhibition explores this idea through artworks that highlight the physical and emotional relationships between humans, bodies, and the environment.

Salvadoran artist Guadalupe Maravilla uses imagery from ancient indigenous codices to portray the traumatic experiences of undocumented immigrants, etching their narratives onto the land as an open wound.

Leslie Martinez and Trey Michie create powerful abstractions that evoke the resilience and transformation of life's journeys, while Amalia Mesa-Bains connects the figure of an Aztec goddess to the cycles of nature and the earth's regenerative powers.

Questioning Boundaries

Artists in the exhibition challenge rigid borders and embrace the fluidity of identity and place. Guadalupe Maravilla's work depicts the border between the US and Mexico as a contested line, a symbol of injustice and colonial oppression.

"Borderlessness" is explored through the works of Leslie Martinez, Trey Michie, and others, who reimagine collective memory, blend cultures, and envision possibilities for reconciliation.

Altered Topographies

The exhibition delves into the concept of "New Topographics," highlighting artists who explore the effects of human intervention on the landscape.

Christina Fernandez, Pili Áboto, and An-My Lê use photography to critique gentrification, unchecked urbanization, and environmental degradation, transforming the land into an archive of human impact.

"BEND" by Christina Fernandez is a poignant meditation on cultural loss caused by colonial repression, leaving unanswered questions about the fragility of both landscapes and memories.

New York City: Concrete Jungle

This section examines how artists have portrayed the city's chaotic vitality, alienation, and enduring spirit.

The works of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Salman Toor capture the city's pulse, while the video series "2 Lizards" by Meriem Bennani explores the pandemic's isolating and introspective effects on urban life.

Earthworks: Reconnecting with Nature

Inspired by Earth art and ecofeminism, artworks in this section celebrate the symbiosis between humans and the environment.

Nancy Holt embraces the ephemeral nature of her creations, while Carlos Villa, Gordon Matta-Clark, and others engage with natural forms and materials.

Carolina Caycedo and Maya Lin use organic elements to raise awareness about the delicate balance of the natural world, emphasizing the reckless disruption caused by human intervention.

Southern Assemblage: Resilience through Intuition

A brief interlude showcases the work of self- and community-taught Black artists from the southeastern US who create assemblages using found materials and everyday objects.

Another World: Beyond the Physical Realm

The final section transcends the physical landscape, exploring mystical and spiritual realms.

Dalton Gata, Chioma Ebinama, and Rafa Esparza create dream-like worlds that envision harmonious relationships between humans, animals, and nature.

Firelei Báez reimagines colonial geography through Dominican folklore and Taino mythology, while Donna Huanca's hybrid sculptures and Theo Triantafyllidis's digital animations envision post-human worlds where nature thrives undisturbed.

Conclusion

"Shifting Landscapes" presents a wide-ranging survey of contemporary artworks that confront the alienation, longing, and disconnection felt in the face of environmental crises.

While the exhibition's lack of coherent threads between sections may be disorienting, it offers a complex and thought-provoking exploration of the multifaceted interplay between humans and nature on anthropological, aesthetic, cultural, political, and emotional levels.