Man is a part of nature, not a being in contrast with it. However, even as part of nature, mankind has always been in constant battle with it, thus, in some sense, with itself.
Canada-based Armenian artist Garen Bedrossian (b. 1952) has explored the relationship between nature and mankind for a few decades already, on many levels: biological, philosophical, cosmic, metaphysical and so on. In addition, man has always played a central role in his oeuvre and the artist’s works even originated around him. Garen Bedrossian does not perceive man and nature separately, in a vacuum; on the contrary, they appear in the discourse of their relationship.
Nature, from a philosophical perspective, can be perceived as a concept with double discourse: the broader and the narrower. In a broad sense, nature is the main form of existence, the whole multi-layered and diverse world that has surrounded us even before the appearance of humanity, and now coexists with us. It is eternal and will live on even after our extinction: there is nothing beyond nature as a general idea. In a narrower sense, nature is the natural environment of man that is studied, perceived, understood and consumed by society for its biological needs.
Garen Bedrossian’s exhibition, beginning, end, beginning features a selection of works directly related to this multi-layered topic, including pieces created particularly for this show. The human being in the artist’s works is a traveler who takes not just his own journey, but in a much broader sense, he walks the repetitive path of the mankind, which, as the nature itself, has a circular course; just like in the Biblical phrase: returneth again according to his circuits.
The works presented in Gallery One and Eagle Gallery of the Cafesjian Center for the Arts reveal how Garen Bedrossian contemplates on these issues with his artistic vision. Gallery One is like an introduction of the exhibition: here, man and nature are literally intertwined and man is absorbed by nature from head to toes. The monumental paintings and graphic pieces in Eagle Gallery are expanded around the large-scale sculpture Traveler. Human head (human being in general) so common in Garen Bedrossian’s oeuvre, in this case has broken away from earth and has reached a seemingly cosmic meditative mindset, moving from the earthly to the heavenly state. The protagonist in Garen Bedrossian’s art is constantly a thought-provoking figure. In all the works featured in the show one can find this idea of transition of the cycles of beginning and ending with the visual interpretation of numerous challenges the humanity is facing.
The exhibition, Garen Bedrossian: beginning, end, beginning gives a chance to ponder not only on the relationship between man and nature today, but also what future to expect in that perspective.

Garen Bedrossian was born in Armenia in 1952. He studied at Yerevan Fine Arts College and Fine Arts Academy in Saints Petersburg. He had worked actively in Russia and Armenia before he moved to Canada in 1987. The artist settled in Montreal, where he continued to produce drawings, prints, paintings, and sculptures.