As biodiversity disappears and the environment degrades, we have to wonder: will nature survive the evolution of the human race? Artists will continue to interpret this changing world in their own inimitable ways, as seen in Incipient Speciation, a new exhibit at Kehler Liddell Gallery featuring photographer Rod Cook and sculptor Gar Waterman. The exhibit runs from Thursday, April 30 through Sunday, May 31, with an Opening Reception on Sunday, May 3 from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. For more information, please visit www.kehlerliddell.com, or call (203) 389-9555.

Cook’s photography and Waterman’s sculpture participate in a long history of artists interpreting nature and the human figure. From Lascaux’s cave wall paintings to cutting edge contemporary impressions, inspiration for artists is a constant evolution from old to new source materials. Cook marries traditional Venetian mask-making with the classic female nude, but the theriomorphic images he creates are something entirely new and different. In the same way, Waterman uses traditional stone carving methods to create his sculptures, but with their plush polished interiors that open to reveal mysterious acts of germination, they are anything but mere pieces of rock. It is through these provocative and feral present interpretations that Incipient Speciation forecasts an edgy and uncertain future.