The genre of figure in environment is vast — so expansive that choosing which works to include is itself a challenge. When I think about this subject I think about foreground, middleground, and background. I think about figures enmeshed in a space rather than tacked on like a sticker. I’ve included a range of work here from across cultures and centuries. Look closely at which pieces create a sense of shallow space and which ones open up into deep space. What devices are at work? Overlap? Atmospheric perspective? Scale shift? In some works the figure dominates the composition; in others the figure is so small you have to search for it. What does that shift in scale say about human beings in relationship to nature?
