Artists Sean Cavanaugh and James Prosek are exhibiting their work in Malta for the first time at Jo Borg Gallery in Sliema.

Joyce Camilleri, the founder of Jo Borg Gallery, says that these distinctive yet interconnected bodies of work are testament to the artists’ relentless explorations of nature and steadfast commitment to celebrate and preserve the wonders of the natural world.

Sean Cavanaugh

“Inspired by rich landscape-painting traditions, particularly the Hudson River School, Cavanaugh’s artistic journey mirrors that of his predecessors via a meticulous attention to detail that draws inspiration from the vast American wilderness,” says Camilleri.

“In this sense, while Cavanaugh’s earlier works may come across as repositories of visual memory that document his travels, the works showcased in this exhibition immerse the viewer in what the artist himself terms as ‘macro abstraction’.”

This aspect can be clearly seen in the artist’s approach to his subject matter, blurring the boundary between representational and abstract art forms through an interpretation of cloud formations that migrate the American skies.

Monumental clouds are individually painted against dense graphite backgrounds, simulating ambiguous yet familiar forms evoking images of islands, icebergs and earthly scapes, which enable the viewer to zoom into the heart of natural settings that challenge conventional perceptions of nature.

His work makes part of public collections in California, including the Claremont College, the Farnsworth Museum in Maine and the Philadelphia Museum of Art among others.

James Prosek

Alongside Cavanaugh’s watercolour and mixed media interventions on paper are Prosek’s cluster paintings and illustrations.

When viewed from a distance, Prosek’s large silk screens draw the onlooker into seemingly monumental undulating clouds, which on closer examination unfold into swarms of colourful moths.

“Such artworks drew inspiration from Prosek’s parallel in-depth research into nature and the natural environment,” explains Camilleri, “as he studied the way moths migrate thousands of kilometres from Midwest America to the mountains, only to fulfil the natural process of the life cycle.”

Prosek’s artistic practice paired with his research about endangered animals and their habitats witnesses his strong commitment to natural conservation and affirm him as a prominent figure in both the art world and environmental activism.

Prosek’s work was exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Yale Centre for British Art, the Asia Society Hong Kong Centre, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum among others.

On Nature by Nature introduces the public to a cohesive selection of works on paper by James Prosek and Sean Cavanaugh that are on show at Jo Borg Gallery in Sliema until May 31.