Astrid Preston's work is always about the philosophy of perception, particularly with regard to beauty and nature. Is not beauty an abstract human concept that exists purely in our minds? Are we able to distinguish between the object and the sensation? Does our ability to think abstractly, an ability that we believe elevates us above animals, actually distance us from nature? Certainly, landscapes do not exist in nature either, they are artificial and exclusive outlines. In fact, the pixels in Preston's new work exemplify this by deconstructing beauty as an idea, and formally building a landscape.

It is the persistence of these conundrums, and their exploration by the artist, that constitute the beauty of Astrid Preston's art.

A catalogue of the exhibition at Craig Krull Gallery is available. Concurrently, The Bakersfield Museum of Art is presenting a 30-year survey, Astrid Preston: Poetics of Nature, through March 24, 2018.