Forum Gallery presents Natural History, an exhibition of paintings by Robert Bauer, Linden Frederick, Alan Magee, Alyssa Monks, Guillermo Muñoz Vera, Brian Rutenberg and Stephanie Wilde. United by their interest in the complex and multi-layered content inherent in the objective imagery of their individual pasts, each artist uses paint and canvas in a very different, and very compelling way.

Robert Bauer uses the language of portrait and landscape to convey the essential, emotional response he has to past and present. The objectivity of observation unites with the sensitivity of expression in his highly developed and palpably personal paintings and drawings.

Linden Frederick paints the iconic buildings of his upstate New York, small-town upbringing. Tinged with nostalgia but always based in clear, concise reality, the paintings, while specific, seem to bring each viewer to his own memory and association.

Alan Magee creates poetic compositions from natural and man-made objects whose history, in his hands, is palpable. Beginning with the premise that everything is what it seems and not what it seems, Magee spins his subjects into seemingly simple, marvelously complex, peaceful, contemplative paintings.

Alyssa Monks places her sumptuous figures in the natural world, often combining the verdant landscapes of her memory with the human body, hers and others. The result is a harmonious integration of man and environment.

Guillermo Muñoz Vera examines the world around him from the standpoint of his own history as a Chilean born, naturalized Spaniard in terms of a larger study of human cultural and geopolitical history and its impact on our world today.

Brian Rutenberg blends the colors and forms of the landscape of his native coastal Carolina with the excitement and passion of action-packed abstraction; the resulting image is uniquely his.

Stephanie Wilde, who remains dedicated to environmental imperatives in her self-taught practice, illuminates the inexorable role of nature to inspire woman’s pursuit of progress in her meticulous and fascinating mixed media works.