The Widlund Gallery at Tannery Pond Center presents: Expedition Earth by Meghan Goparaju
Tuesday, November 24 - Saturday, January 2
Gallery Hours: Tues – Fri, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM | Sat, 12:00 - 4:00 PM | additional hours by appointment
Artist Reception: Friday, December 11 | 3:30-5:30 PM
Artist Statement: I look down at the palm of my hand. A mesh of veins running in and through flesh; a formulation of pink, blue, and beige. I open and close my fingers, each intricately structured by tendon and bone. And I can’t help but wonder how something so complex is held together by something so delicate as paper-thin skin.
I look beyond, to the earth all around. To the mountains, the ocean, the clouds, rivers, and valleys. I peer deep into the forest, observing the trees reaching out to the sky, as if for guidance, the vibrant moss blanketing the forest floor like carpet, the squishy, lush soil harboring webs upon webs of interconnected mycelial networks.
That out there– that’s us. We are not here and nature there; we precisely are the phenomenon we call nature; we are the very earth that we stand upon.
I look back down at my hand, this fleshy, veiny thing. Calloused and rigid, yet tender and gentle. I see in it the earth and all it encompasses.
And when you’re met with such a sweet synchronicity, how could you not be overcome with pure awe?
Meghan Goparaju
I’m an artist from Long Island, NY; this beautiful little island is where I grew up. Though I have a degree in psychology, the development of my art practice is really what allowed me to understand the world and connect with humanity through raw experience. While I’m drawn to the serenity of the seascapes found across my home island, the inspiration for my work is predominantly drawn from my travels around the world over the years, which include the countries and regions of Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, Faroe Islands, France, Italy, Belgium, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Thailand, Canada, and Australia. My work, which includes various techniques in painting, printmaking, and photography, centers on my deep connection with the earth and reflects on the enormity of the unique landscapes I have encountered. These landscapes hold stories and memories—of the land, wildlife, humanity, and all that came before.
