Resa Blatman: Dark Sea

Inspired by nature and climate change, Resa Blatman's Dark Sea addresses the effects of human interaction on the natural world. Works in dazzling colors present an ethereal view of ocean life, while more ominous elements hint at a future endangered by rising tides, oil spills, and pollution. The exhibition will be on view in the Childs Gallery Print Department and features many pieces from Blatman’s well-received installation of the same name, recently shown at the INK Miami Art Fair.

Blatman’s undulating visions of sea life are calm, yet unsettling. The tranquil swirling forms of her mixed media works belie the dangerous changes facing our natural world. Her clever use of dimensionality and bold, innovative materials create scenes into which the audience is drawn and afforded the opportunity to contemplate their own impact on the planet.

Through paintings, prints, and drawings, Blatman’s artistic narrative speaks of an uncertain future. In her oil Refugees, anxious birds perch atop spindly branches, set against the roiling waves of a “water world.” Gold and copper leaf add a lush, delicate quality to her hand-altered etchings, but take on forms resembling pollutants amorphously pouring through ocean waters. Her drawings feature corals combined with organic lines that represent both sea life and floating ocean debris.

The works in Dark Sea contain a lyrical, dark, and mysterious beauty that is reflected in nature and humanity. Presented together, they beautifully demonstrate the tragic and overwhelming consequences of climate change on our planet.