OK, OK, I admit it, I’m biased, I’m co-owner of art251, I’m a photographer. So, how do I summarize the first few days of our new show Man And Nature, showcasing photographs by Sean Fitzgerald? Well, let me try.

Sean Fitzgerald’s images stand by themselves – beautifully composed, technically adept, faithful and yet almost surreal renditions of our real world. Importantly, his images aren’t just excellent photographs, they are interwoven by an vivid narrative. It’s a multifaceted story – of pristine wilderness, of man’s coexistence with and encroachment upon nature, and of nature’s ability to adjust and ultimately prevail (sometimes with help, sometimes not).

His story takes us on a journey from the untouched, surreal natural landscapes of central African deserts, to the lush growths of Caddo Lake (the only natural lake in Texas) and the encroachment of man in the Guadalupe Mountains of Texas; it takes us to the rising and eerily beautiful Devil’s Lake in North Dakota, and on to decaying manmade structures in the Upper Midwest.

It takes us to the ruins of diamond mines in Namibia being subsumed by sand; and then the journey brings us back to wilderness being re-born in our very own Trinity River valley, in East Dallas.

So, if just one of the following questions perks your interest:

intrigued by images of faraway lands?

fascinated by man’s impact on the environment?

interested in nature’s delicate coexistence with humans?

don’t believe wilderness can be reborn on a former waste dumping ground?

like to learn more about your home state (Texas, in this case)?

appreciate technical craft?

sometimes wonder, “how did he do that?”, or “where on Earth is that?”

ever looked closely at the nature right beneath your feet or above your head?

… do this: set aside 25 minutes, drive or cycle or walk (or parachute if you must) to Keller Town Center, open the door to art251 (we’ll even open it for you), and breathe in Sean Fitzgerald’s gorgeous images of this fragile land, both near and far. Man And Nature runs until the end of November 2009.