The Los Angeles Print Society’s members-only exhibition, Between Us and the Trees: Conversations in the Secret Language of Nature opens this Saturday, April 1st at Eagle Rock’s Center for the Arts.
As one of LA’s most highly regarded art associations, this year’s exhibition is a perfect fit for April’s Earth Day celebration. The exhibition was inspired partially by forest scientist Peter Wohlleben who authored The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, What They Communicate – Discoveries from a Secret World, a book which discusses the secret language of the trees, the forest ecosystems, and the fungal communication of the ancient forests.
The exhibition explores the topics in this book, including themes of plant intelligence, hidden communication, and the transcendent connections between us and the natural world.
Participating artists include: Leslie Brown, Renee Amitai, Curtis Bartone, Mary Sherwood Brock, Andra Broekelschen, Jennifer Chen, Sydney Cross, Michelle Dakan, Judy Dekel, Mollie Doctrow, Holly Downing, Beth Fein, Christina Yasmin Fesmire, Karen Fiorito, Betty Friedman, Deanna Glad, Yuji Hiratsuka, Jani Hoberg, Linda Hunsaker, Gail Jacobs, Carolyn James, Gesine Janzen, Cindy Koopman, Mako Lanselle, Carolyn Liesy, Linda Lyke, Diane McLeod, Jared Millar, Mary Anne Molcan, Teresa Munoz, Jackie Nach, Angela Oates, Rebecca Harvey Pollak, May Roded, Marianne Sadowski, Sarah Sanford, Annie Silverman, Elsie Sims, Barbara Sloan, Noriho Uriu, Cathy Weiss, Donna Westerman, and Linda Yoshizawa.
According to Karen Fiorito, president of the LA Print Society, “The idea for this show came from discussions between Melinda Farrell, the Director of the Center for the Arts Eagle Rock, and our Exhibitions committee. Melinda had been working with the theme of plant intelligence and communication in some of her projects for the Center, and we all agreed that this idea would be a great exploration for our membership.”
The idea was equally supported by juror John Greco, who turned out to also be a fan of Wohlleben’s book. The exhibition includes 54 artworks created by 42 artists. Greco says the selection process was based on adherence to the theme of the exhibit – feeling the healing presence of the forest. On this basis, he notes that “My selective process for this exhibition has been primarily through my feelings about what each work of art delivered to me. Secondly, the execution of the processes involved in the making of the piece, along with the fundamentals of composition, color, and design. Art created through printmaking is a time-oriented process that allows the work to percolate and evolve with its involvement with the subject matter.”
Greco (above) himself was chosen for the exhibition both to honor his accomplishments as a renowned printmaker and service on the Los Angeles Printmaking Society Board and due to his dedication to the art of printmaking and to the community of artists he’s served. Fiorito adds that “I also chose him to jury this show for his love of the natural world. I knew that he would appreciate the theme.”
Fiorito says it is impossible to choose favorites as the work is all strong; she notes that “I think there is something for everyone in this exhibition, no matter what your tastes may be.”
While many artists are based in California, the Los Angeles Printmaking Society, founded in 1963, has grown into a national artist-run membership organization devoted to presenting state of the art printmaking exhibitions to the public. Exhibiting artists stretch far and wide, including participants from Minnesota and Montana.
Along with beautifully evocative 2D wall works, there are some pieces that are somewhat unconventional in the exhibition, including a sculptural piece, and several wall works that include additional elements beyond the print medium itself. According to Fiorito, “Many of our members are not only talented printmakers but innovative artists as well. The Center often encourages our artists to come up with site specific works for their shows. For this exhibition, we asked that members create new works or submit works that were made within the last year. We always encourage off the wall works, installations, and sculptural printmaking.”
While this Saturday’s show offers an opening reception for the artists and public with light refreshments, an awards ceremony, and of course, lots of beautiful and inspiring art.
On Saturday, April 22nd, there’s another don’t-miss event. “We will have a special Each Day event featuring a Cyanotype workshop by May Roded, one of the artists in the exhibition and a Gelli Plate demonstration by yours truly,” Fiorito relates.
The exhibition runs April 1 – April 27, 2023, with the opening reception and awards ceremony from 3 to 6 p.m. on the 1st; the April 22nd Earth Day event will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The exhibition is located at:
Center for Arts Eagle Rock (CFAER)
2225 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90041
Enjoyed seeing the work on the website since I live in IL and can’t see it in person. Great job, Karen