A Guilt-Ridden Landscape

Curated by Rong Jiang

Lobby of Albano Building
305 E 46th St

From Feb 8 – Mar 8, 2022

The artist presents us with a series of portraits of the Seminole people based on the photos made by Julian Dimock, an American photographer who photographed the indigenous people in early 20^th century. His pieces of paintings are united through the new landscape in the Everglades. These beautiful oil and water-color paintings incorporate the detrimental factors that most affect this swamp, which pose a constant threat to the health of the wetland and the Seminole.

The Seminole presence within his compositions represents discontent towards a disrespectful attitude towards nature. The Seminole tribe’s relationship with nature is different. They have fostered a caring and harmonious attitude towards this ecosystem from the first moment they occupied it and have assumed a deep bond with the land.

Today the new communities have not had the same treatment towards the swamp. Excessive construction of condominiums overlooking artificial lakes increases housing prices; large sugar plantations block much of the natural flow of water; water is being contaminated by pesticides and harmful chemicals from irrigation methods. Human attitude towards the Everglades for profit has corrupted one of the world’s most important ecological systems. 

The artist intends to reflect on our perspective towards the Everglades and the environment in general. We must become aware of our interdependent relationship with nature as practiced by the Seminoles.