In Botany of Desire: A Plant's Eye View of the World, Michael Pollan wrote: "Design in nature is but a concatenation of accidents, culled by natural selection until the result is so beautiful or effective as to seem a miracle of purpose." This month at 1 Mile Gallery, art returns to its Aristotelian roots, acting as a mirror of nature in the group show "Greenhouse." Justin Amrhein's mechanical drawings of orchids are particularly intriguing—a meticulous combination of scientific drawing and fantasy. Amrhein writes of his work: "Figuring out how things work and how things are built intrigues me. After studying how a particular object is made and the major components crucial to its function I have the basic knowledge needed to develop versions of these objects or invent an entirely new object altogether. In the form of schematic drawings, I can define the function and purpose of elements that border between real objects and imaginary creations. By using different forms of labeling systems to illustrate and organize and object, I am able to provide a commentary on a multitude of subjects while creating complicated, purpose-driven machines."
"Greenhouse" will be exhibited at 1 Mile Gallery in Kingston through November 14. (845) 338-2035; Onemilegallery.com.
