As longer spring days start setting their tone and nature is in full bloom, natural history artists, Sean Cavanaugh and James Prosek showcase their work in Malta for the first time. This is not the first time that Cavanaugh and Prosek exhibit their work in a joint show, as their distinctive yet interconnected bodies of work testify the artists’ relentless explorations of nature and steadfast commitment to celebrate and preserve the wonders of the natural world.
Inspired by rich landscape painting traditions, particularly the Hudson River School, Sean Cavanaugh’s artistic journey mirrors that of his predecessors via a meticulous attention to detail that draws inspiration from the vast American wilderness. In this sense, whilst Cavanaugh’s earlier works may come across as repositories of visual memory that document his travels, the works showcased in this exhibition immerse the viewer in what the artist himself terms as macro abstraction. This is clear in the artist’s approach to subject matter, that blurs the boundary between representational and abstract art forms through an unprecedented interpretation of cloud formations that migrate the American skies. Monumental clouds are individually painted against dense graphite backgrounds, simulating ambiguous yet familiar forms evoking images of islands, icebergs and earthly scapes, which enable the viewer to zoom into the heart of natural settings that challenge conventional perceptions of nature.
Rooted in a family lineage of American painters, including his mother, March Avery, and his grandfather Milton Avery, Cavanaugh’s upbringing instilled in him a deep appreciation for nature’s beauty and its representation in fine art.
Cavanaugh’s extensive body of work has been showcased in numerous solo exhibitions in galleries and museums across the United States and the United Kingdom, with recent exhibitions at prestigious institutions such as the Lowe Museum at the University of Miami, the Royal Academy of Arts in London and a current simultaneous solo show at the Morris Museum, New Jersey. His work makes part of public collections in California, including the Claremont College, the Farnsworth Museum in Maine and the Philadelphia Museum of Art among others.
Alongside Cavanaugh’s watercolour and mixed media interventions on paper, are James Prosek’s cluster paintings and illustrations. When viewed from a distance, Prosek’s large silk screens draw the onlooker into seemingly monumental undulating clouds, which on closer examination unfold into swarms of colourful moths. Such artworks drew inspiration from Prosek’s parallel in-depth research into nature and the natural environment, as he studied the way moths migrate thousands of kilometres from Midwest America to the mountains, only to fulfill the natural process of the life cycle.
Prosek’s artistic practice paired with his research about endangered animals and their habitats witnesses his strong commitment to natural conservation and affirm him as a prominent figure in both the art world and environmental activism. In this sense, Prosek is mostly known for his cluster paintings and contemporary views of the natural world through his depictions of still-lifes, landscapes and portraits, which explore acknowledged taxonomies and labelled classifications in precise detail. Over the years Prosek was introduced to painters like John James Audubon, Winslow Homer and Louis Agassiz Fuertes, until he gradually developed a personal artistic language grounded in the use of watercolour that honours an immersive experience of nature stemming from his childhood.
Being a versatile artist, writer, and naturalist Prosek’s artistic prowess has garnered international acclaim, with literary contributions that span over several books and include esteemed publications like The New York Times and the National Geographic Magazine. Prosek’s work was exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Yale Centre for British Art, the Asia Society Hong Kong Centre and the Smithsonian American Art Museum among others.
On Nature By Nature introduces the public to a cohesive selection of works on paper by James Prosek and Sean Cavanaugh that are on show from the 10th April to the 31st May 2024 at Jo Borg Gallery.
Jo Borg Gallery 