On Sundays the SoWa Art + Design District in South End Boston hosts an Open Market. I didn’t know what to expect, so I followed my muse. There are food stalls but we had just eaten a great brunch at Worden Hall. Instead I headed to the tents where makers were selling their creations. I paused at one of the stalls with art by Nedret Andre, the colors and abstractions really spoke to me. Her assistant encouraged me to meet the artist at her studio on the 4th floor of 450 Harrison Street.
I worked my way through the market checking out the whimsical art of Mitra Farmand then admiring the print works of Goosefish Press. Finally I beat a retreat to the air conditioned multi-story building of art studios. I took the elevator to the 4th level and sought out studio 415.
Nedret Andre was in her studio. She stood amidst the large canvases beautifully filled with paint and imagination. Her work is all based on the abstraction of sea grass. And before you roll your eyes, appreciate how much she has learned about the ecological importance of sea grass in the New England seashore ecosystem. Nedret’s paintings reveal a world we don’t think much about and hopes to spark our curiosity to learn more about our interdependence with the ocean.
We had a fun conversation with another Julie who stepped into the studio at the same time as me about the menacing green crabs–an invader from Europe who roots up the sea grass. Should we celebrate the intrinsic beauty of the green crabs even though they are destroying the ecosystem for lack of predators?
Nedret has shown her work at many galleries and often collaborates with scientists to give them an opportunity to share their expanding knowledge at the art show openings. You can also learn more on her blog at http://www.nedretandre.com. Or follow her on instagram @nedretandre.
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