Robin Crofut-Brittingham: Migrations

In her work as an illustrator, Robin Crofut-Brittingham uses watercolor to render the natural world in exquisite detail. This exhibit features selections from her recent book, The Illuminated Book of Birds, revealing an artist who encourages us to pay close attention to nature’s beauty and complexity while also reflecting on the challenges posed by human impact.

In parallel with her illustration practice, Crofut-Brittingham creates large works on paper that imagine new worlds rich with life and color. The paintings in Migrations are full of movement and wonder, a result of the same keen observation that she uses to such great effect in her illustrations. Crofut-Brittingham creates scenes that feel both fantastical and idyllic, richly realized and specific yet tantalizingly out of reach. Depicting a world reclaimed by nature, the works serve as a warning about our impact on our natural environment but also a hopeful vision in which we are caring stewards of our precious planet.

— Sarah Freeman, curator

I create large-scale works on paper that explore the complex relationship between humans and nature, with a focus on themes of overconsumption and environmental degradation. My paintings imagine a world where humans and nature coexist in a fragile but harmonious balance; I draw on mythology, speculative fiction, and current events to conjure alternative futures. The detail and scale of my work is meant to inspire viewers to engage with the minutiae of our complex surroundings and consider the tension between human expansion and the natural forces we so often overlook or exploit.

The arched and pointed frames in my paintings reflect the form of terrariums or enclosed ecosystems. These frames act as both a boundary and a self-enclosed space and, like the landscapes within them, suggest the tension between containment and the potential for growth. They symbolize a fragile balance: an environment that is nurtured yet delicately held in place. The effect is one of possibility, transformation, renewal, and coexistence—the reemergence of nature in the aftermath of collapse.

— Robin Crofut-Brittingham

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Ask the Artist!