Darren Morawitz
“The Wondrous and the Weird”
Showing January 3 to February 2
Bio:
Darren Morawitz received his studio painting and art education degree from Fort Hays State University in 2012. He has been drawing/painting people and flowers while teaching 2D art at Hutchinson High School, as well as teaching adult art classes at the Hutchinson Art Center. Recently, his work has been exhibited at Mark Arts’ National Watercolor Exhibit and City Arts’ Juried Exhibition. He is inspired by artists like Francis Bacon, Casper David Friedrich, Laura Bifano, Eliza Ivanova, and Caravaggio.
Exhibition Statement:
My work is a dyadic experience.
First, it is wondrous. I am at a point in my life where I seek the beauty of the Kansas landscape. My love for watercolor landscapes started as an exercise in basic techniques and has evolved into capturing the peaceful, rich palette of the grassy horizons. My building appreciation for the plains in which I was raised increases with each landscape painted. Alternatively, in the singular flower I capture this beauty on the micro scale, informing my larger works and exploring each plants complexity and intricacy.
Second, it is weird. Our intelligence has caused us to become separate from mother nature. When once we worked for nature, we now try to subjugate her. We can outsmart her, but she will outlast us. I use floriography, the language of flowers, to send a message to my viewers. Using beauty, like flowers, to convey difficult messages that creates dichotomy within the viewer experience. Specific messages are different with each piece, culminating in the idea that nature is the primary force and humans are secondary.