Naomi Chung

Oct. 30-Nov. 26, Gross McCleaf Gallery, 127 S. 16th St., 215-665-8138, grossmccleaf.com.

by Deni Kasrel

visual art

(CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION)

It's tough to know precisely why viewing a field of flowers, a grassy mountainside or an elegant tall pine has the ability to incite sentiment. Call it the innate power of Mother Nature. But whatever the reason, this response is a driving force for painter Naomi Chung, who says, "Whether it's something still and serene or overcome by the powers of a storm, I take from the landscape its ability to stir emotions associated with higher consciousness and self-awareness." Chung's works are often quite detailed, as in Moon Drenched Dew (pictured), although her most essential concern is the "evocation of a mood or a feeling." Chung also strives to encapsulate how landscape evolves over time, and this plays into her process: Her method of building up paint and then scraping it off relates to the notion of the forces of erosion. The result is dramatic and highly sensorial — enough so that when Chung paints a picture of a brook, you might just think you hear the darn thing babble.

Oct. 30-Nov. 26, Gross McCleaf Gallery, 127 S. 16th St., 215-665-8138, grossmccleaf.com.