68.6 x 106.7 cm
How to reconcile our complicity with the unstoppable momentum of technology and our desire for meaning in the natural world? - David Muller
Eleanor Harwood Gallery is pleased to present David Muller’s first solo exhibition with the gallery. The show will open on November 9th, 2024, and will be on view through December 21st, 2024.
The title of the show Between You and Me explores the layered meanings behind what connects and separates us from nature, investigating both the beauty and complexity of human presence within the natural world. Vast landscapes are often overlayed with the evidence of civilization, such as power lines, roads, and trails. The unifying theme in these elements is how they function as pathways for human connection to one another. The work addresses the cognitive dissonance that arises when living between urban and natural environments and the artist’s desire to navigate and coalesce these increasingly disparate worlds.
The title also speaks to a personal, spiritual dialogue between the artist and nature, revealing a vulnerable perspective of an intimate bond. This body of work portrays nature as a source of profound meaning, inviting viewers to share in the artist’s reverence for landscapes that evoke a presence of ephemeral mysticism. Spanning the coastal areas near San Francisco Bay, the pieces range from small, fleeting glimpses of city life to larger, meditative sunsets and mountain tops perched above fog banks, each intentionally scaled to mirror the significance of the moment.
In these paintings, the artist pushes the limits of watercolor, contrasting loose washes with controlled brushwork to explore the medium’s full range. The interplay of precision and spontaneity mirrors the tension between human order and untethered natural patterns, creating a dynamic viewing experience that encompasses dual themes of connection and separation.
