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South Jordan Journal

‘Human Landscapes’ at Finch Gallery

Mar 27, 2015 09:21AM ● By City Journals Staff

Artwork by Mark England

Through April 17, artist Mark England exhibits his landscape paintings in “Human Landscapes.”  Hannah Vaughn and Kevin Arthofer use weather maps, data graphics, and projections on sculpture to document weather along the Wasatch Front in their installation “You Are Here.” 

Mark England, a well-known Utah landscape painter, focuses on how individuals see themselves through landscape and impose upon it their values. He uses full-sized figures within the landscapes, thus creating a whole new relationship and raising many questions. England twists perspectives, visually and historically, by juxtaposing unrelated buildings and events to produce a scene that could take place at any point in time. 

“In a sense, my paintings are anthropological; in them, I often dwell on the values, activities, and events of ancient and contemporary cultures, ‘tracing’ the traces they left behind,” said England. “These are records of how we impact, leave our mark, our history, on the earth.”

The destination marker “You Are Here” takes on new meaning in the exhibition of the same name by Hannah Vaughn and Kevin Arthofer. Using an approach that is both scientific and abstract, the artists seek to overlay the unseen processes on the well-known domain of the Wasatch Front. Using topographical and environmental data, visual representations reveal environmental fluxes that are not otherwise perceived in daily life. Through “maps” that interpret hydrological and experiential data, Vaughn and Arthofer introduce an intimate version of the Wasatch Font over time that is both science and experience. Central to the exhibit is a large topographical map cast of plaster that becomes the surface on which data and time-lapse experience is projected.

Finch Lane Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with additional evening hours during the Salt Lake City Gallery Stroll on April 17 from 6 to 9 p.m. The gallery is at 54 Finch Lane in Reservoir Park. All events are free of charge. For additional information, contact the Salt Lake City Arts Council, 801.596.5000 or visit www.saltlakearts.org