Out of Paradise is an exhibition of paintings by artist Adam Straus, presenting and distorting idealized scenes of the natural world with incisive social commentary and a signature wry humor.

Seductive and gloomily romantic with views of skylines and seascapes, fields, and mountains, the paintings go beyond contemplation, and articulate his concerns about the cruel reality of our planet. In his oils, Straus represents the struggle and survival of mankind and mankind’s effect on nature.

This exhibition of Straus’s work will feature a collection of older pieces as well as more recent ones with a particularly timely relevance. Paintings displayed from his latest series contrast current events from 2016-2020 with an optimistic view of nature’s resilience. They juxtapose classic romantic landscapes of National Parks and images inspired by 19th-century artists with layers of recent newspaper coverage of politics, racial tensions, immigration, human rights, and other issues dominating current events.

Don’t miss this eye-opening exhibition of the paintings of Adam Straus at our downtown gallery this summer.