Both Jenny Pope and Craig Mains observe and report
what is happening on our planet. Pope focuses on animals and plants and the issues
they embody. By putting a spotlight on matters ranging from endangered animals to invasive species, she hopes to encourage
understanding and respect for the environment. Her prints are usually reductive
woodcuts. Each color is printed after carving away the previous layer.
Craig Mains’ imagery revolves around man-made
structures and “transformative circumstances” brought on by nature. His
monotypes often employ repetitive elements suggesting mankind’s tendency to repeat ill-conceived endeavors; folly followed
by calamity. Storm Surge & oil rig (ghost 2) is a xeotrope, which literally shows an oil rig cyclically and repeating
being toppled by a violent storm.
Both artists tackle what could be overbearing
subject matter (extinct or struggling species, environmental disasters) with such style and humor that the resulting works
do not lecture but rather tell us rich stories full of irony.