The Grand Canyon, dammed and flooded. Smokey the Bear, lighting a cigar and looking askance at the viewer. Artist Will Gurley’s solo show “National Parks Development” opens Friday at the Launchpad. It takes a darkly humorous look at what would happen if the commercialization of nature went extreme.
While installing his show earlier this week, Gurley said his work is meant to help people envision the consequences of unencumbered development in some of the nation’s most spectacular places: The national parks.
"We’ve created these icons that represent our care for nature, but, at the same time, currently the way we’re starting to look at nature is that it’s actually a commodity," he said.
“Natural Parks Development” opens alongside “Settle Down In A Town Where Nothing Burns,” a show from local artist, Robert Martin. It features landscape paintings that capture some kind of transition: A car crashed into a lake with two women overlooking it, for example.
An opening reception for both shows takes place Friday at the Launchpad. The opening also features a screening of the trailer for this year’s 5Point Film Festival.
