Stop, look up, look down. What has always been there that has gone unnoticed? What is now there that has not been before? The ever-changing imbalance between human output and the reclamation of nature is on display.

 

Amanda Guerra’s photographs, taken in Portugal and Spain, zero in on the often dramatic edge between architecture and nature. While honoring pure design and history, contrasts between sky, material structure, shadow and green growth create moments that are both liminal and finite. Jo Swanson takes snapshots of trash she finds on walks (Discards). Highlighting the detritus of our consumer culture, questions begin to arise as to how these items came to be discarded, and why. They ask, “what does our trash say about us, individually and collectively?”

 

Both artists invite us to pause and appreciate the poetic contours and patterns of what is just above or below, whether marvel or error. When shown together, rhythms of form are revealed. Subject and setting become interchangeable; a stone building edging into the blue sky like an X-Acto cut-out; a cast-off, yellow ribbon searing into fresh-cut grass. The photos reveal unexpected beauty and tension between the world we are given, and what we leave behind, both carelessly and intentionally. 

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https://www.curiouserkc.com