Land in Process

We bury our trash, our own waste, our dead, and all other toxins that contaminate the soil. The air around us has suffered similar neglect. The abused atmosphere is represented with scraffito marks in the skies of her paintings. Some of these marks are chaotic lines, representing the many artificial elements that stream through our skies everyday with a constant motion and sound; electricity phone lines, the internet, car, jet and factory emissions.

Not only do these elements have an effect on the air quality, the sounds they produce are also a focal point in Hartig’s work. Many of the landscapes may seem quite serene when in actuality they are referenced from places of tremendous unrest: the side of the expressway, the long lots next to an airport, or a busy urban street at rush hour. Renee believes a true portrayal of these landscapes would include a visual representation of the auditory disturbance we take for granted. This seems a much more realistic portrayal of the scene than falsely representing the landscape in a more peaceful manner.

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Acre 1 Acre 2 Acre 3 Acre 4 Acre 5 Acre 6 Cirrocumulus Farm Exit 215 Florence Beach Hightway 5 Humming Field Layered Sky Long Ride Moving Ground Thick Path