De Terra

ROSEGALLERY is pleased to present de terra, a group exhibition curated by Jaushua Rombaoa.  
de terra showcases instances of humanity’s mark on the natural world through the photographs of Penelope Umbrico, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, William Eggleston, Robbert Flick, Todd Hido, Graciela Iturbide, Rinko Kawauchi, and Martin Parr. 

From both urban to natural spaces, one cannot deny humankind’s presence in our surroundings. A clear distinction between artificial and virgin landscapes is quite evident. For example, land is leveled in order to build sprawling metropolitan areas yet there are untouched landscapes designated as protected wilderness zones. However, over time, the symbiotic relationship between humanity and Earth has begun to coalesce into a singular state of being. The exhibition displays the many instances of this interaction, and ultimately the synthesis of our relationship with the Earth. 

Each of the artists featured in de terra hone in on this union either through the direct depiction of a landscape or through the artists’ hand. Penelope Umbrico and Robbert Flick demonstrate an interaction with the Earth that is once removed. Both artists create their environments, utilizing various photographs to arrange a landscape that can only exist by their own making. Mankind's influence can reshape and shift an already present world. 

William Eggleston and Martin Parr showcase the ironies of this relationship. Humanity makes its presence known and the uncanny blurred line between artificial and natural is very much in your face. Mankind is abrupt and takes up space. Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Todd Hido, Graciela Iturbide, and Rinko Kawauchi tap into the nuanced consequences of this synthesis. Humanity and the natural world push and pull, and live within the limits of compromise. Humankind exists, but only within the boundaries in which the Earth sets out for us.