Upon entering Oesterle Library, the paintings in the Schoenherr Gallery are shown from above. They are distinct, colorful and striking. These are the paintings of Mapping Earth by Nikkole Huss, who aims to explore the relationship between reality and virtual representations thereof.
“The encaustic paintings on display in the exhibition…are a collection of places that I’ve only experienced on a screen using Google Earth,” she says.
“Although the abstract, topographical landscapes are inspired by authentic locations, I’ve altered the final result by adding imaginative growths and appendages just as nature is always growing and changing. As a result, I’ve depicted places that are part fiction and part reality.”
Huss used a unique medium to depict the landscapes: encaustic paint. Beeswax, resin, and pigment make up this paint. A heated palette keeps it fluid and it reheats after application. This fuses the paint to the surface. The result is opulent and versatile, making it ideal for landscape paintings. “The organic materials of encaustic complemented nature as my subject matter,” Huss says.
Huss has never visited the depicted locations. She feels that she has traveled to her imaginative landscapes in the past. “They are a part of me,” she says.
Princess Adams, ’21, found the paintings to be impactful. “I do like how they’re not concrete images,” she says. “Something is up to you. I just looked at the same painting and it looks different now.”
Adams’ interpretation of the artwork aligns with Huss’s vision for the exhibition.
“All of my work can be ‘challenging’ at times which makes the production of the pieces more interesting for me to create,” she says. “My hope is that the audience will slow down, spend some time examining my art and appreciate nature all around us.”
Mapping Earth is on display in the Oesterle Library Gallery through Oct. 10.
