There’s no shortage of art exhibits proposing a message about the environment, but “Temperate Grasslands” at Big Medium shares an appreciation for the natural world that differs from the usual doomsday-about-climate-change show.
Instead, curator Coka Treviño simply sets out to create an unconventional garden.
The group show hosts an assembly of artists varying in mediums, color, and seriousness. The result is a display that expresses admiration for beauty, life, and nature without narrowing to any singular style or form of expression. The featured artists are María Fernanda Barrero, Hollis Hammonds, Ryan Hawk, J Paul Jackson, Jieun Beth Kim, Betelhem Makonnen, Paloma Mayorga, MuthaGoose, L. Renée Núñez, Dawn Okoro, Nazia Parvez, Sara Vanderbeek, and Cheyenne Weaver.
Held inside Big Medium’s commodious gallery in South Austin, the space is now recovered from the tragic fire that burned through earlier this January. “Temperate Grasslands,” coming months later amid summer, presents an ode to new beginnings and a more positive connection to the earth.
To begin, a fake grass entrance leads you into the garden. It’s hot and humid in the warehouse space – authenticity points. The layout, designed to be a visual biome of weird, is reminiscent of the DIY garden landscapes commonly found in the yards of homes throughout Austin. Treviño curates a similar mood, with artists offering contemporary sculptures, photographs, paintings, and more that feel similar to the craft projects you’ll encounter on a walk around the neighborhood, yet heightened in their grandness.
It’s difficult to discuss the pieces as separate entities, as the garden is best understood in its entirety. However, the composite result is deepened and more complex when one closely notices each work. Near the entrance, a lenticular print of vibrant red roses called Illusion (Kim) adds an optical complexity to looking at flowers. Four different sculptures from Weaver stand out in the room, each a quaint pastel anthropomorphic object displaying a merging of critters, flowers, and flowerpots with human body parts. Núñez’s Pineapple Spider, the painting used to promote the exhibit, is impressive in size and precision. The piece contains a yellow spider likely to be the work’s namesake, as well as a purple grasshopper, a snail shell, and plenty of lush greenery and vibrant blossoms. The painting is one of many in “Temperate Grasslands” that portray a vivid and detailed mythical world. A personal favorite piece entitled das Ding-a-ling shows a bizarre sculpture of a giant worm-like finger with hair and realistic nails.
Experiencing the exhibit reminds one of nature’s ability to refresh the mind and soothe. The act of observing living beings, views of the sky, grassy hills, and leaves on trees has a healing quality. What separates the show from actually walking in the park is the ability to witness nature’s revitalizing beauty through the eyes of artists with inventive perspectives.
By presenting the beauty of nature’s shapes and designs on a detailed and abstract level, “Temperate Grasslands” invites reflection and asks the viewer to familiarize themselves with the odd charms that are blooming and crawling around right here in Texas, available to us every time we step outside.
Without heavy-handed commentary about what these different objects, elements, and animals mean, “Temperate Grasslands” speaks to the importance of their existence by offering the pleasantness of seeing them. It’s a cheerful, scientifically inaccurate ecological exploration primarily concerned with enjoying the visual intrigue and joy that nature brings, rather than considering the frailty of its existence. That part is for you to think about after you leave.
“Temperate Grasslands”
Through Aug. 4
This article appears in August 2 • 2024.