Return to Eden
A palpable and immersive experience of the garden
Zynka Gallery | May 2023
Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art | October 2023
““This series of artwork has accompanied me during a pivotal and transformational time in my journey into motherhood. I see hope. I see joy. I see love. I see faith.” ”
Cara Livorio creates wild and immersive gardens in her newest series, all of which contain the scattered remnants of human presence. A garden holds both life and death in its seasons of growth, decline, and rebirth, and as we meander through the ever changing landscape, it is a serene and even sublime place. Every journey through the garden brings new sights and surprises; it grows wildly, and there is the sense of the power and unbridled beauty of nature. Amidst this natural beauty and verdant growth, one can also find the human touch, the human spirit: statues, architectural ruins, and other signs of human genius which stand tall, although slowly succumbing to erosion and the eventual fate of stone and earthly elements. In a way, the statues symbolize our best attempts at translating and conveying human ideas and ideals into something concrete, literally made of stone. Instead of viewing the human elements as an attempt of the human ego to dominate over nature, destroy, or control it, Cara sees a symbiotic coexistence where the stones and statues slowly surrender to their fate; from dust to dust. Humbly giving up control and surrendering to nature, or to one’s God, is not giving up. It is the greatest act of respect, faith and trust. The work speaks of finding beauty in pain and brokenness, healing wounds, clearing the dead weeds and creating space for new flowers and seasons to grow.
