Mark Dion and Alexis Rockman, harnessing a multitude of unique visions through an even vaster show of diverse media, present a complex picture of human impact in nature’s divine balance.
At an installation at the Palmer Museum, from August 30th to December 7th, 2025, this balance was displayed in a highly impressive fashion, and I had the great privilege of getting to spend time walking through. While I by no means consider myself an art connoisseur, I do consider myself a thinker, so now, in reflection here, I will indulge in the privilege of sharing some of my specific thoughts:
When exploring their exhibition, ‘Journey to Nature’s Underworld’ in the Palmer Museum, I stumbled upon one piece in particular that captivated me: ‘Biosphere: Hydrographers Canyon’, by Alexis Rockman.
The exhibition featured numerous pieces: a scientist’s nook with animal furs and various tools, a shelf full of jars preserving various rubber toys (mimicking what a preserved animal would look like), a large staircase with a transcending scheme of organic life, a taxidermy cat atop it and many entrancing, bright paintings. Spanning two floors, the exhibit presented a lot of ground to cover.
Every piece that wasn’t a painting consisted of found objects as the main medium. The amount of knick-knacks was impressive; what one may view as junk at the bottom of our ocean floor, I find to be enthralling. Many of the found items were quality vintage, preserved like treasure at the feet of a pieces creature.
Many of the paintings were colorful, abstract and conceptual, showcasing not only the impact of humanity on nature and the animal world, but the diverse quality of skill both Dion and Rockman have been able to hone in on throughout their careers.
Specifically working together, Dion and Rockman, who met in the 1980s and have been cultivating pieces since 1991, collectively showcase their shared passion for combining the artistic world with our ecological one. Inspiredly together they have faced us, the viewer, with a multitude of exposing images and sculptures to toil with.
The pieces used in many of the projects were captivating and familiar, featuring found objects many could recognize: ceramic dishes, watches, dice, curious shiny objects; things you would dream of finding washed up on the shore of a beach. What most resonated about ‘Biosphere: Hydrographers Canyon’ was its abstract similarity to other, more physically tactile pieces (such as the one pictured below and others throughout this article).
Perhaps the junk we humans feel so inclined to collect is just a vision of our Biosphere coming through in a different universe: the media we can own tangibly. Perhaps, at the end of the day, we share a universal condition to create what we were created by, through the collection and finding of items. Even through destroying the nature creator as we do so, just to harness a sliver of ownership over what can seem like a small, intangible life.
The exhibit overall did a great job of presenting human impact in a beautiful yet clearly affecting way without using statistics or numbers. Bottle caps found, nature collected, the exhibit called to consciousness the human experience, and our responsibility to exist in a delicate, easily possessed nature.