Whereas only a decade ago the single mention of beauty in the panorama of contemporary art could have rendered one’s comments reactionary, kitsch or worthy of any number of derisive blows, today something vital is kicking at the seams of the art world’s belly—but from deep within. Far away from the bandwagons of chic and catchy—which eventually give way to old and tired—new perspectives are opening to artists and permitting a look beyond the fragmenting and, by now, antiquated judgment that art should be for and about itself alone: L’art pour l’art.

Recent cosmological advancements including those of subatomic and macro-scale physics are revolutionizing our understanding of the physical world by offering glimpses far beyond human time and scale. The origin of our universe and what likely preceded its formation is now becoming clearer, and so is our own place within it. We now know, for example, that we are living at precisely the center of time for the entire lifespan of the universe (based on data taken from the European Space Agency’s Hipparcos satellite; see recent publications on the Double Dark Theory.) and at the central size (scale) of all physical possibilities.

What’s more—and perhaps most importantly—we have come to this knowledge at a moment when the history of our actions upon the natural environment has come to stare us in the face: we can no longer deny our place within the material world. Should it be surprising today, then, that questions ofphysical and contextual quality in art are surfacing to balance those of the more conceptual and de-contextualized temper that held favor in the art of last century? This nascent, but growing pulse in today’s art world is momentous in precisely its relation to and with the world at large. Exclusivity and isolation have proven themselves to be a thing of the past in a world where artists have found integration. It is this life force—stretching between and binding wave to particle, mind to matter and eventually awareness to structure—that brings us to our present perspective in art.

The visionary work of Portland-based artist, James McGrew, shines a brilliant but sublime light on our natural environment through just this sort of integrated view. At first glance, one might mistake his plein air paintings for a cache of Expansionist Phase bozzetti of the Hudson River School. But such a cursory encounter would clearly fail to offer up any of the depth, power, or contemporary significance that his studio works very discreetly communicate. It is as if the simple pigments in McGrew’s paint—the iron, cobalt, and cadmium—alchemically transmute in the presence of today’s deep ecological concerns. The result, far from political finger-pointing, is a crystal-ball’s view onto the natural world, albeit with an aura of universal value even greater than gold: hope.McGrew, unsurprisingly, holds degrees in biology, chemistry, geology, and environmental studies.

Beginning April 1st, the Pacific Northwest will have an opportunity to experience McGrew’s new works firsthand at Lawrence Gallery in Portland, Oregon. The show is set to include over 40 plein air paintings and 15 studio works.Technically speaking, those done en plein air are looser, more impressionistic, and express, one could say, an even greater sensual bond with the place depicted than his studio pieces.

“I am not interested in photorealism. Rather, I want to produce paintings that seem lifelike and true to memory… that can elicit emotion.”

Unlike traditional realism which McGrew believes can appear static or lifeless, he aims to integrate the experience of place in his brushwork. He is best known as a painter of landscapes, but his works better convey human experience in concert with nature—and from looking deeply into such acharmed reflecting pool as this, it is not difficult to come away changed. Contrary to the beauty that led Ovid’s Narcissus to his death, however, the aesthetic in McGrew’s landscapes reminds us of ecological peril only if we fail to see ourselves reflected. Perhaps it is for this that his studio works appear as distillations or crystallized projections of his plein air paintings: they concentrate and encapsulate an ecological vision that is somewhere between the harsh reality of our natural environment and what is achievable if we act in time.

Nearly all of McGrew’s works echo this thought. In Half Dome, for example, one of his newest works to be included in the exhibition, Yosemite’s ecosystem has undergone a profound transformation. It is an experience in synesthesia: the atmosphere becomes audible and one wonders if—allowing time for the colors and texture to truly sink in—today’s analogue to the Tallis Fantasia has finally arrived. This “sound” is trumpeted from the granite mountain itself, sending movement through the distant trees and finding its way into our own “auditory” retinas. Biodiversity returns and rivers shift far afield from the strictures of dams and levees.“People need beauty.” McGrew insists. “They need a way to refresh themselves from the chaos of everyday career life. In the process, they may come to appreciate nature, and ultimately develop a sense of stewardship.”

Where apathy once grew, beauty brings hope—and in the hands of James McGrew and those artists who are moved with life today, so very much can and must be told.

-Jerry Sumpter