Sam Falls: Conception

Sam Falls' artworks are inspired by, and at least in part created by, nature. For his exhibition at Laumeier Sculpture Park, Falls laid a canvas covered with dry pigments on ground in the park's woodland. Left there for several days, the dew, whatever rain fell and the sunlight that passed through the leaves overhead and onto the canvas made a record of the local flora. In addition to his large-scale nature paintings, Falls has also mosaicked a pair of steel I-beams with tiles featuring native plants grown especially by Laumeier's master gardener at Falls' request. The finished beams are placed standing upright in the forest, reflecting and refracting the natural landscape that surrounds them. Sam Falls: Conception opens with a free public reception from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, August 24, at the Aronson Fine Arts Center in Laumeier Sculpture Park (12580 Rott Road, Sunset Hills; www.laumeier.org). Falls' work remains on display through December 22.