Andrew Reed Gallery | Gonçalo Preto: Phantom Limb

Vanishing Point, a new suite of paintings and watercolors, is conceived from unexpected perspectives, collapsing the boundary between the viewer and the world we inhabit. Tree canopies, jellyfish and coral reefs, and spectacular flora all tower above the viewer. These works embody Alexis Rockman’s career-long interest in biodiversity, with a naturalist’s keen awareness and enthusiasm for the natural world. Rockman also continues his career-long dialogue with the history of art with the thick impasto found within the paintings and the deft manipulation and fluidity of watercolor. There is a hallucinatory and fluid quality to the cacophony of color found in the watercolors, coupled with the more physical use of paint in the paintings.

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The large-scale watercolors in this show are amongst the largest ever executed by the artist. Examining the euphoria, psychedelia, and enchantment of experiencing nature, these works encourage the viewer to set aside fatalism in favor of an energetic appreciation for being alive on this spectacular planet.