Evan Forrest Mann

The engine of modernity is the seeking of comfort, to eschew all struggle. So we attempt to placate our environment into a cuddly swab of deathless being. “Make it cozy” they say.

Then we are surprised when the fire burns, the wind blows, and waters swell. The wilderness aptly reminds us: we do not have control. Decay is natural. Our bodies wither. Rivers run their course regardless of the endless feed glowing on our glass.

Pilgrimages into the wilderness require struggle. Painting becomes an act of cathartic release. To quietly observe decay and regeneration in embrace. This is healing for those captured in a world of pixels and algorithms.

The brush becomes a powerful sword to rage against the machine of our endless progression towards perfection. Painting is a means to combat the comfortable life, to wrestle with the sun, become food to the insects and be destroyed by the wind.

Numb toes are the first to appreciate the warmth of home.

2012 MFA, RISD

2008 BFA, Colorado State University