Natural Selection: Since 1980, Stuart Burton has been using the landscape as his primary subject for exploring color, light and texture in painting. Using only five colors and white, his signature landscapes in oil are rich in color and sure of stroke. A second-generation California native, Burton grew up in San Diego. Since obtaining his B.A. in fine art in painting and printmaking from SDSU in 1977, Stuart Burton has had over 20 solo shows and his works have been included in more than 45 group exhibitions in California, Arizona and New Mexico. Human/Nature: Michael Wheelden’s work began as a reaction to the Pop Art sensibility of David Hockney, Bob Bechtel, and Wayne Thiebaud in the 70s, but developed in relation to the formalism and photorealism that occurred in the 80s. Vernacular houses became the springboard for his references to “Pop” culture, while heightened color and shaped canvases emphasized his formalist investigations. He is still working within those parameters. In the intervening years, Wheelden’s acrylic paintings have reflected a more personal and emotional approach to the subject. More recently, he has included “landscape” as a counterpoint to the human environment, and as a commentary on the “mind” of nature and the “mindset” of humanity. Admission to the Art Gallery is free.