Flora, Fauna, and High Color: The Fantastic Florida Landscapes of Mark Messersmith

Edward E. and Jane B. Ford Gallery
Open November 6, 2021 through January 30, 2022

Mark Messersmith was born in Missouri but has called Florida – particularly, Tallahassee – home for years. One of Florida’s most accomplished painters, his style can only be described as ‘fantastic,’ not only for its quality but, also, due to his unique style based on high-keyed, almost fluorescent color combined with densely-packed, dynamic images of the Florida backwoods like you have never seen them before.

These paintings explore themes of spirit and struggle within our modern world’s “natural environments” as plants and animals jostle to survive in small isolated natural habitats as they feel the encroachment of their inevitable forced migration, dislocation, or isolation. 

Image Credit: Mark Messersmith, The Lost Garden. Oil on canvas with carved wooden top and bottom parts. 2021. Courtesy of the artist.