Jungle Fever

A disturbing vision of nature profoundly shaped by man is the subject of María Thereza Negreiros's new exhibit, ushering in an early spring at the Frost Art Museum. In her solo show, "Offerings"the Brazilian native presents a suite of compelling canvases that isolate the intricate beauty of the Amazon as if captured from a distant satellite lens.

Employing a vibrant palette shimmering with luminous hues, Negreiros depicts mysterious jungle habitats teeming with wildlife and vegetation. The artist, who now lives in Colombia but spent her childhood in Brazil, creates lush, monochromatic landscapes that are often shadowy in nature. Her work features winding river banks, moss-covered copses of trees, cascading waterfalls, and the steaming jungle heat. The colorful abstractions both reduce and enhance the complexity of an unstable environment, evoking the terrible sense of loss caused by the rapid encroachment of technology. In works such as Great Ipago, created in 1994, Negreiros even seems to presage a Google Earth view of the Amazon terrain while conveying the dangers of deforestation.
Tuesdays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sundays, 12-5 p.m. Starts: Jan. 25. Continues through April 1, 2012