Imaginary landscapes


Whenever the subject of landscape is discussed, too often it is relegated to the domain of painting. Yet, for many contemporary artists working in various media, landscape is a continuous theme, whether as a metaphor or as a depiction of a real or imaginary place. More than just connecting with an art historical tradition, these artists utilize the idea of landscape as a springboard to a variety of commentaries and visions. It could be added that the very notion of “landscape” is, in fact, a fusion that only exists when it is understood and read visually as such by man. As the noted historian Simon Schama pointed out in Landscape and Memory, landscape should not be considered exclusively as a natural form, but as a perception of the human mind, which ascribes to it a variety of connotations and meanings. In light of this, many artists play on the traits pertinent to certain geographical areas...


The full text is published in "tema celeste" No. 83, January-February 2001.




Pablo Helguera