Nancy Watterson Scharf

My fascination with illusion, perception and the question of reality drives all of my work. It seems to me that different cultural and political groups, animal and plant populations view the world in uniquely exclusive ways. To the extent that these ideologies limit conscious perception interests me. If true reality is the sum of all these disparate views, then what if we could see these worlds simultaneously and without separation?

I am interested in how humans are an integral part of nature even though we are largely unaware. That human sense of otherness or separateness concerns me. It has a profound impact on personal and policy decisions in regards to global resources and human stewardship of the planet. As a result, my paintings are visual investigations of the connection between humans and nature.

My compositions often use urban environments and man-made structures as a framework for contrasting nature with modern society. Masks, birds, fish and other symbols connect people and ideas through time and across cultures. At subatomic levels humans are not separate from earth, sky or stone. I explore these links by deconstructing perspective and plane and reconstructing the space. Realistic imagery in unusual settings and combinations creates an unconventional dream-like reality with mysterious and irregular perspectives that defy common visual logic. The eye sees it one way, but is that what is really there? I superimpose multiple landscapes resulting in a quasi surreal world where the human and the natural world occupy the same space with surprising effect. As a result there is surprise and sometimes whimsy and humor in my work overlaying more serious questions.