In
Walden, Till Gerhard explores the conflict between man and
nature in visual terms. Gerhard renders the spiritual milieu
of the landscape with painterly mysticism. The trees, towering
to celestial heights, give the illusion of supporting the
washy ground from above as if the scene were suspended from
the sky, while delicate spills of colour seduce with an ethereal
glow. Heavy brushwork stands in stark contrast to the bewildering
flourish of drips, splashes and smears; light is conceived
as spectral hues, giving the canvas the illusion of radiating
from within. The geometric form of the cabin is made to seem
alien in this seraphic setting, its presence exuding an intrusive
anxiety. In the distance, ghost-like figures mill about, lost
in their Thoreau-inspired quest for enlightenment.