An inside look at The Natural Man collection

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Photographer Mark Hedengren presented his Natural Man exhibition and gave an art talk on Tuesday, June 17 at the Woodbury Art Museum.

“Why do we interact with nature? Why is it important?” Hedengren asked to start off his lecture. Through his photos he shows people about the deep relationship that every person has with nature and that people are more connected with the environment than they think.

Hedengren describes his photographs in a simple and thought-provoking way. While looking at the photo of the world’s fastest semi speeds down Bonneville Salt Flats, he realized that themain element of the place was the speed. That is exactly what viewers can see on the photo; the car in the picture is going so fast that all that is actually visible is the smoke left behind.

Another piece that Hedengren highlights during the show is photos with people in Iceland living in tents. He found it fascinating how easy it was to just come and take a photo of them playing cards when it would not be as easy to do so by entering someone’s living room.

Hedengren said that his favorite photograph in the collection basically reflects his life. Tree Jumper #2 is a piece that shows two boys on a tree with one of them jumping from it.

“Everything I do is jumping off a tree,” he said. Things he does in life, putting himself in new areas and even running for Congress are all the situations where he sees himself in the same position as the boy in the photo.

Hedengren emphasized his desire to help people in Utah enjoy and appreciate the beautiful nature around them more than they do now. Growing up surrounded by these great mountains can make it hard to see their magnitude but he reminds people about their beauty and shows it in his works.

The Natural Man collection is located at the Woodbury Art Museum, on the second floor of the University Mall. It will be displayed until August 9. The museum is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays.