Mara Metcalf
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The majestic falls of the Columbia Gorge in Oregon are both popular tourist sites and truly amazing phenomena. The current works on paper are based on actual encounters with these places and on my memory of them. They grew out of the desire to express intangible spaces using the language of abstraction. My sources include vintage postcards, reference photos, videos and a recent visit to the sites. For me these places include the search for connection and sense of belonging

My work addresses the feeling of flow and force that come from an encounter with the natural world. Most people are awestruck in the presence of a thunderous waterfall. Words like wonderment, and sublime come to mind. In these new pieces my process is similar to hiking; you climb to the top of the ridge, and then hike back down. I want my work to be traversed as an experience rather than be seen solely as the signification of the "real" world or reality.