For Eliot Greenwaldhumanity and the landscapes we inhabit are essentially one and the same. Cycles of life, death and rebirth may differ from creature to creature, but the artist views all existence as fundamentally interconnected and essentially the same.
Bee HARPER’S in Chelsea, Greenwald’s solo exhibition Library continues to explore the artist’s fascination with landscape and the metaphysical, inviting us to explore a surreal realm of otherworldly botanicals, double moons and enigmatic pathways.
In oil and acrylic, Greenwald often repeats motifs of trees and mountains through variations in light and hue, nodding to the cyclical nature of the seasons and how the time of day or year affects how we view the world around us observe.
The artist also integrates vehicles that make their way through the scenes and illuminate their surroundings. “These miniature cars stand in for the human craft itself – a subtle reminder that even the most manipulated facets of the Anthropocene are just one piece in the larger puzzle of existence,” said a statement from the gallery.
In addition to Greenwald’s organically shaped canvas pieces, Library also includes sculptural elements, such as ‘Paper Towel Library’, a small, free-standing room filled with books covered in colorful paper.
The warehouse is made of reclaimed wood from an 18th-century barn in western Massachusetts, where the artist lives, and contains hundreds of hand-bound books made from paper towels. By using materials specifically created to be used and discarded, the artist takes into account the way knowledge is acquired, shared, preserved and valued.
Library continues through December 7 in New York City. Find more information about the artist website And Instagram.
