In The Peace of Wild Things, Gabrielle Guthrie’s Spring 2026 series of thirteen paintings, the artist turns to nature as a model for understanding, privileging intuitive and experiential ways of knowing over rational systems. Each work begins with a monoprint process using plastic bags, transferring paint in a single gesture that produces textural impressions reminiscent of organic forms. Through this method, Guthrie blurs the boundary between the natural and the synthetic, allowing imagery to emerge gradually rather than through predetermined composition. Developed over time through layered applications of acrylic, flashe, oil stick, and oil pastel, the paintings follow a process of accumulation, erosion, and repetition that echoes natural systems. Many works extend across multiple panels, activating the spaces between them as sites of meaning and continuity. While the compositions appear restrained at a distance, closer viewing reveals nuanced surfaces and subtle shifts in color and texture, inviting sustained attention and a slower, more contemplative engagement.
