ON COMMON GROUND:
Two Artists’ Unique Paths in our Public Lands

Out there in the world, somewhere beyond the demands of a heretofore set of personal expectations and the gravity of our day-to-day agendas, is a common ground.  A scarce social artifact in the growing days of derision, it none-the-less persists in the public land we unconditionally share.  Drawn to this common ground, our personal stories intersect, not by accident or celestial fate, but by our collective determined curiosities and rooted respect for places we heed as exceptional; from here on, we are all more similar or aligned than what our unique backstories might predicate.

It all begins upon arrival.  Here in Yosemite, the statuesque cliffs, singing forest and sinuous river, however vulnerable, appear reliable and timeless.  Standing at this junction, our personal barriers begin to fade, and a trust in the temples of nature takes shape, regardless of the route we took to get here.   Much of this can be inferred through the art that results from our experiences; its communicative abilities on a universal scale impart these results.  We can make or look at a painting or photograph (there are at least two people in every work of art: the maker and the viewer), and beyond the aesthetics, derive a mutual admiration of a place that inspires so much in so many.

MaryEllen Hackett and Martino Hoss are two artists with unique paths to their own shared reverence for the Sierra.  Born and raised on opposite coasts, from different generations, both found an inspiration in our public spaces – most notably Yosemite.  Through their art they convey a separate but familiar affinity for these lands.  While each evoke a playfulness and serenity through their use of color, MaryEllen’s watercolor and gouache jewel paintings resonate with fine lines that reveal the contrasting delicate anatomy of a seemingly stout landscape.  On the other hand, Martino’s dreamy pastels of ethereal light soften the inflexible, distant granite to a point of fragility and warmth.   Whether more realist or abstract, we can still see the forest for the trees in their work; to the artists, they have arrived on common ground in their delight, respect and thankfulness that such a landscape exists, heartening to us all.

On Common Ground: Two Artists’ Unique Paths in our Public Lands opens at The Ansel Adams Gallery on July 29th, 2023 and runs through September 16th.  A reception for the artists, with both in attendance, will be held at The Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite Village on Thursday, August 10th from 11am to 1pm.  We hope you can join us and share a common ground.