Alberta, as discovered and captured in “Four Outside Views,” sits as a unpopulated landscape, a place of peace and worship, and a land that is as open and free as our imaginations. At first, these are seemingly typical landscape portraits of the Rocky mountains and rolling plains, reminding you of road trips down and throughout Southern Alberta. Only looking deeper into this set of works, you see that there are no roads, no passageways, no obvious hints of human presence. This land of increasingly sparse trees and fading magnificent views reflect the paradox of Alberta’s slowly deteriorating landscape. The majesty of experiencing the looming Rockies and looking over the expanse of rolling plains--these are experiences unique to the region and unfortunately, these are also declining moments in modern memory. Alberta’s natural landscape has been riddled by development, golf courses and oil dunes--signs that we as a province are thriving economically. But preservation and conservation of the land remain surprisingly silent views. The artists in this show provide an inclusive portrait of Alberta as we in this generation can experience it; but as time and unprecedented development continues, the experience of connection to a natural Alberta will only be a memory.
Image credit: Pam Wilman, "Lone Pine Tree"
Artists: Adeline Rockett, Pam Wilman, Sophia Podryhula-Shaw and Donna Miller
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