SUZANNE YURDIN
Near Blue River
Mixed media on canvas
30” x 40”
The Power and the Fury
Mixed media on canvas
40” x 30”
Over the Mountains and into the Sea
Mixed media on canvas
40” x 30”
Artist Statement
My climate change-based abstract landscapes are reminiscences of recently traveled places. Continuing my interest in giving the viewer a sense of place, these mixed media paintings present ideas on the changing landscape. They may trigger memories rather than describe a specific place, while evoking a sense of urgency to preserve the natural beauty around us.
Each piece explores aspects of climate change and the constant degradation the Earth is experiencing, while finding the beauty in all that remains and demands attention and action now. These paintings juxtapose nature’s very divergent characteristics: the serene and active, picturesque and disintegrating, quiet and volatile. Some works offer an atmospheric perspective, as if seeing the land from above after a violent storm, a glacier melt, or the aftermath of destructive wildfires.
My hope is this work connects the viewer to their sense of place on Earth and energizes our efforts to save the beauty of places that cannot be replaced. Where is your sense of place? Will it last in your lifetime?