‘Great Divide,’ the title of this watercolor by Tim Gardner at 303 Gallery, could refer to U.S. politics or the Rockies; chiefly, it taps into mythologies of the lone wanderer. German Romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich’s iconic solitary figure on a cliff’s edge comes to mind, now behind the wheel of a gas guzzler and protected by guardrails. The restorative qualities of nature, experienced particularly during the pandemic, no doubt inspired Gardner. At the same time, the complexities of contemporary relationships to nature make the image enticing and uncomfortable. (On view in Chelsea through Aug 13th).
