PHILADELPHIA – Tiger Strikes Asteroid is pleased to announce the opening of its June exhibition, N4TUR3.

N4TUR3 features work by Philadelphia-area and nationally-known artists investigating the treacherous borders between the natural and the contemporary worlds.  The exhibition includes work by Beth Brandon, David Guinn, Jackie Hoving, Regin Igloria, Misako Inaoka, and Thomas Vance.

In this age of animal gene splicing and bio-engineering, there is an ironic reverse trend towards interaction with and deeper investigation into the natural world. But once it lapses into more than simple curiosity, where does nature end and manipulation begin? And what might that mean for us?

Inaoka and Brandon, with a distinctive mix of whimsical re-sorting and sinister craft, critique the results of our flirtations and battles with nature. Hoving, standing a bit farther off, investigates the drama of natural events through the dynamism of collage: it’s all both brutal and normal – but how culpable might we be? Guinn and Igloria, with their more traditionally illustrative glances at the natural world, nonetheless imbue it with a wry and deeply personal introspection, encouraging everyone to see ourselves in nature. And unifying all of this formally and abstractly, Vance maps out in real space our clumsy – and beautiful – constructions and wanderings toward understanding both ourselves and the natural world in these times. After all; we too are nature.

Beth Brandon and Thomas Vance have shown most recently with Copy and Fleisher-Ollman Galleries, Philadelphia, respectively. A much sought-after muralist in Philadelphia, David Guinn has also shown here and in Baltimore. Misako Inaoka is connected with the San Francisco area, and showing most recently at the University of Texas. Jackie Hoving’s recent Philadelphia show was at Rebekah Templeton Gallery; her last exhibition was in Milwaukee. Regin Igloria has exhibited extensively on the East Coast and Midwest, most recently at Zg Gallery in Chicago.