New Exhibit Pays Tribute to John Steinbeck

A new show is opening at 101 Archer on Nov. 1. West(of Eden), a series of 13 oil paintings, pays homage to John Steinbeck’s novel, East of Eden which tells the story of a family that lived on the same land in California for generations. A pious father tries to guide his two sons only to force their separation, which is not unfamiliar to Cain and Abel.

The artist, M. Walker Nelson, felt trapped in the West and that her life would begin once she could leave for the big shiny city. From reading Steinbeck, she learned some essential lessons about life that she shares in her work:

First, one cannot outrun oneself. Second, there is nothing wrong with a humble life. Third, sometimes it is the mistakes or character flaws that make a story worth reading.

“Reading Steinbeck gave me hope that I should just keep pressing on. We are one part destiny and one part tenacity. It all depends on which I choose,” she said. “I choose to keep putting one foot in front of the other. These are the icons I circled as I waited. This show explores self-acceptance and a reckoning with time.”

Another component of Nelson’s work is the passage of time. “Few on Earth have experienced change at such a rapid pace,” she said. “The last 150 years are radical compared to centuries that would pass without a fundamental change in how people work, have relationships, eat, travel, and shelter.”

The visual effects in this series of paintings represent that all people are past and present. How exactly does one visually represent past and present/digital and analog? Nelson chose to show how our memories are like old tapes being played in our minds. In a second, we can time travel. But memories are only sometimes clear and sometimes the reception could be better. Some memories are paused or on a loop. Other times it is like a glitch or flash.

Nelson dares to investigate how technology does not make us less human but amplifies our humanity.

The series is a picture book torn from the artist’s journals. Each piece is a like a chapter of that book relating to the idea of what it is to live West(of Eden). Each piece references Steinbeck’s writings and how it parallels Nelson’s life.

West(of Eden) has been recognized by the esteemed National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, California, and has also garnered national recognition.

The opening of this exhibit will be part of the November’s First Friday Art Crawl. It will run through January 25. To stay up-to-date with OCH events, bookmark our homepage at humanities.utulsa.edu or follow us on social media.