Nature Here and Now : Mirror Tide & Paper Sea Installations.

The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness - John Muir 1890 Curated by Geoff Diego Litherland and Dermot Punnett: How do artists challenge their own perceptions to create new ways of seeing and comprehending the world? From the early cave paintings depicting wild animals, to Turner’s atmospheric studies of light and weather, artists have always been driven to depict and understand the natural world. Today through recent scientific and technological breakthroughs our knowledge of nature is very sophisticated, yet we still seem to seek a more immediate connection to our natural environment. The artists in this exhibition use their artistic process and technologies to push the limits of their own perception, understanding and even endurance, to gain a deeper insight into the mysteries of the natural world. For the Wirksworth Festival, we are delighted to have a stunning site-specific installation in our ancient St Mary’s Church created by Wolfgang Buttress, which is inspired by his award-winning work, The Hive, currently installed in Kew Gardens. The Curated Exhibition also features the work of Dermot Punnett, Olivia Punnett, Peter Matthews, Mariele Neudecker and Katja Hock in the Parish Room. Details of all of these artists can be found in the artists section of the Wirksworth Festival website.