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Wild Within
New work by Tamara English and Kendra Larson

Sept. 25 – Oct. 25: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

The Art Gallery at UCC, Whipple Fine Arts Center, Umpqua Community College

1140 Umpqua College Rd, Roseburg, OR 97470

Wilds Within is an exhibition of landscapes about the experience of inner life, the interior of our beings, by Tamara English and Kendra Larson. Themes explored in these paintings include the nourishing aspects of Beauty and Awe, healing qualities of plants, and spirituality. English’s oil paintings reveal the buoyancy and vibrancy found in connecting with what has sacred meaning, and exploring how our inner worlds are like gardens or forests that may be tended to and savored when one is spiritually engaged. Larson’s acrylic paintings take a psychological approach, depicting landscapes rich with a history of folklore with a focus on making visible the fleeting qualities that add to our understanding of Place. The bodies of work of both artists delve into motifs found in the literary genre of Magical Realism. Magical Realism is defined as "what happens when a highly detailed, realistic setting is invaded by something too strange to believe". This strangeness, in turn, invites the viewer to expand their own perception of reality beyond rational thinking and open to wonder, beauty, and awe. Magical Realist writers like Jorge Luis Borges and Gabriel García Márquez, as early as 1925, saw how wonder and awe could give depth and insight into our everyday lives. Recent scientific studies such as those highlighted in the NY Times, US Today, and Psychology Today, show that experiencing awe improves physical and mental health. “The experience of awe is the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that exceeds our current understanding of the world. The research reveals that experiencing awe can reduce stress, quiet the inner critic, and inspire us to act more altruistically toward the people around us.” The paintings in Wilds Within celebrate how the experience of the natural world can evoke awe, connect us with the divine presence, and discover the wonder to be found in everyday life.