Perennial Light, a new series of photographic constructions by environmental installation artist Cathey Billian has come to the Arsenal Gallery in Central Park. The images, taken in forests along the eastern seaboard, feature witch-hazels and mountain laurel from the Farmington River Valley in Connecticut, balsamic firs from Acadia, Maine, and sycamores from New York City. Billian's works are not just a catalogue of various tree species, her compilations capture the feeling of walking among these silent giants.
Billian's Photo-based, worked images on aluminum and rag papers provide an intimate view of trees as percussive, explosive, or sometimes meditative canopies. The exhibition calls attention to our perception of trees, and commemorates their mysterious and powerful ability to alternately reveal and conceal a grace and form that is unique to each season and species.
Pratt Institute, where Billian is currently a professor and Epson America join Scenic Hudson in sponsoring the show. An environmental focus is apparent in all of Billian's public art, installations and photographic constructions. Billian's works are in many permanent collections including the National Park Service, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, and the private collection of former Vice President Al Gore.
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