Steppin' Out

Cover Story

'Cartouche #1,' a photographic sculpture by Theresa Gantz, is featured in one of three botanically inspired exhibits at the Palo Alto Art Center.

Garden Party

By Heather Zimmerman

Exhibits go back to nature for inspiration

Mother Nature has inspired artists for centuries--and yet, as a trio of exhibits at the Palo Alto Art Center demonstrates, she still offers fertile ground for exploration.

The exhibits run through Sept. 9 at the Palo Alto Art Center, 1313 Newell Ave., Palo Alto.

The garden as a cultural symbol is a prominent theme in the abstract paintings of Frances McCormack. "From the Ground Up: Painting, Process and the Garden" is a mid-career survey of McCormack's paintings, from 1984 to 2007.

Nature takes on a surreal aspect with the mixed-media sculptures in "Renee Adams: Under Fragile Skies." Adams' sculptures, displayed under glass domes much like scientific specimens, portray hybrid plant-and-animal organisms.

New and vintage views of nature are captured in the group show "Photography: Beyond Botanica." Historical pieces include images of flowers by seminal photographers Imogen Cunningham and André Kertész, and 19th-century prints by botanist Anna Atkins, who was the first to use photography to illustrate a book. Contemporary works include Masao Yamamoto's small, close-up shots and Theresa Gantz's photographic sculptures.

Admission is free. For more information, call 650.329.2366 or visit www.paacf.org.