PAUSE & LOOK CLOSER. Multidisciplinary artists, CV Peterson (right) and Holli Jacobson (left), have taken inspiration from where they have walked – even their own backyards – in the their new collaborative installation, “Altered Landscapes.”  Through color, shape and visual storytelling, both artists encourage viewers to reflect on the fragile balances in our natural ecosystems.

We found ourselves in a gallery brimming with guests; many notable Chippewa Valley artists and friendships which spanned decades – all coming together for the opening of “Altered Landscapes.”

This new installation, housed in the Pablo Center at the Confluence (128 Graham Ave., Eau Claire) features the combined work of two local artists: multidisciplinary artist, CV Peterson and visual artist, Holli Jacobson.

Light danced across the canvases as golden hour sunlight illuminated the exhibit's works: paintings crafted from tar paper and liquid nails and fabric sculptures suspended fifty feet overhead. Each piece could stand on its own – some reaching 15 feet wide and 10 feet tall – yet together emphasize the dual artists’ own abstractions of the landscapes which surround them.

“We both really admire each other’s work,” Holli said. “I think it was an easy decision to have the show together.”

Both artists possess similar backgrounds in their academic pursuits, CV detailed, as they combine both experience in previous local gallery works with hands-on experimentation. “Altered Landscapes” evokes these mirrored guiding principles, with the majority of the installation’s pieces having been created specifically for this exhibition within the year preceding it.

CV and Holli explained, while they interpreted the installation title in different forms, each artist drew upon the realities of how human activity can alter landscapes – both positively and negatively.

“In my own yard, we have planted a lot of native plants,” Holli said, reflecting on her paintings. “The life that it’s created has been so exciting and joyful for me. I wanted to really celebrate that.”

“I really wanted to zoom in – be the size of a bee – and really look at the structure of plants in a different way,” she continued.

From a distance, as evident in pieces including “Bombus Rarus” – with acrylic and paint stick on canvas – the complete picture offers a study in colors and the symphonies found in our own backyards.

“I really wanted to zoom in – be the size of a bee – and really look at the structure of plants in a different way.”

HOLLI JACOBSON

VISUAL ARTIST

As the viewer zooms in, compositions of each insect and plant are revealed: details of seed pods become clearer, variants of bumblebees emerge from foliage of the shrubs – beckoning for a second look.

CV blends their curiosity for scientific inquiry with artistic expression; each watercolor and acrylic piece portrays how human innovation, economic pressures and ecological harm coalesce in modern day.

“Too Cute to be Biodegradable” by CV Peterson, made with repurposed plastic bags, grommets, plarn and hay-bales.

“Low Horizons Thrum Abiding” by CV Peterson, made with watercolor, acrylic, mulberry paper, tar paper, liquid nails and yupo paper on wood panels.

“How are we viewing the world as a human-centric space, versus the ecosystems that also live in those exact same landscapes?” CV questions, sharing, “There is a conversation about agricultural necessities and equipment that might be chosen – not because that’s the desired choice, but because it’s the economic choice.”

“Mountain Dream of the Fields Before” depicts landscapes imagined by CV, which reference ecosystems once in bloom, with memories of what once was untouched.

The juxtaposition of man-made, non-biodegradable components – such as liquid nails – with CV’s hand-ground ink establishes a material reckoning for viewers. This contrast between construction-grade materials and biodegradable substances serves to emphasize the externalities of human intervention in dreamlike landscapes.

Conversely, CV’s pieces also emphasize personal memory of landscapes from their past. “Low Horizons Thrum Abiding,” a piece within their “When Wildflowers Once Whispered Series,” reveals abstracted views from the rolling hills along Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls.

“How are we viewing the world as a human-centric space, versus the ecosystems that also live in those exact same landscapes?”

cv peterson

multidisciplinary artist

“The viewer might not know it, but there are (pieces) of a marsh outside of my uncle’s cabin which we no longer own,” CV said. “I take a lot of inspiration from where I’ve walked and where I’ve been – and currently that’s predominantly Wisconsin.”

Viewers are also compelled to interact with the sculptures present through “Altered Landscapes,”  whether by running their hands across CV’s hay bales wrapped in plastic bag materials or by gazing up and through Holli’s hanging daisy chain, made with hand-painted fabrics.

“Bombus Rarus” by Holli Jacobson, made with acrylic and paint stick on canvas.

“Daisy Chain” by Holli Jacobson, made with acrylic on fabric and wire.

Both artists hope viewers gain both an awareness of the extensive research brought forth from the installation and equal curiosity toward the native plants and geography which surrounds them – beyond aesthetic appeal.

At 11:30am on May 17 at the Pablo Center, both Holli and CV will return for an artist talk. They plan to discuss themes of the installation, offering guests a deeper understanding of the colors, intricate details and nuances of the natural world brought forth in “Altered Landscapes.”

As we move through the fragile balances between care, reciprocity and the richer narratives which define Holli and CV’s work, both artists challenges viewers to look closer; not just at the final product, but at the “why” behind its creation.

Holli Jacobson (left) and CV Peterson (right) walk through the James W Hansen gallery at the Pablo Center in Eau Claire. “Altered Landscapes” will be on display through June 21; select pieces in the installation are available for purchase, contact buyart@pablocenter.org to learn more.

“Altered Landscapes” will be on display in the James W Hansen gallery at the Pablo Center (128 Graham Ave., Eau Claire) through June 21. An artist talk with CV  Peterson and Holli Jacobson will be held at 11:30am on May 17 in the gallery.