I’ve written a lot about how art can keep us company. It’s important because sometimes we can’t be with other people or our companions aren’t able to salve our feelings of loneliness. Nature can also keep us company. As I walk around my neighborhood, I look for wildlife—it’s a delight to see a cottontail bunny or listen to birds calling to each other as part of their evening ritual. I might notice how certain trees or plants wave in the wind and imagine what they are experiencing. That connectivity feels like company. Of course, what we see, experience, and know differ because of where we are, not just geographically but also in terms of our personal presence. The goal is to simply acknowledge the connections all around us.
Nate Lowman has made a series of shaped canvases of the United States, titled Maps (2013–ongoing). Hung together, they illustrate the difference of place as well as perspective. Some are monochromatic, others are hung inverted, but the message is always clear: separately, we are separate; together, we’re united.
