Through vivid, immersive paintings and site-specific installations, City in a Garden explores the relation of humans to nature and the built environment. In Daniel’s psychedelic, richly-textured landscapes, figures inhabit otherworldly ecosystems in which nature runs riot. In Kauffman’s work, a vocabulary of forms in vibrant hues recurs across paintings, drawings, found objects, and architectural space. While using two distinct visual languages, both artists draw on mythology, folklore, and personal association to create fantastical vistas that hint at narratives just beyond our grasp. City in a Garden is the 2025 edition of SBMA’s biennial Conversations exhibition series, which aims to facilitate dialogue and collaboration between established regional artists and established artists from outside of the region. Kauffman was raised in South Bend and is based in Colorado, while Daniel is from and is based in British Columbia, Canada.
City in a Garden: Melanie Daniel and Max Kauffman is on view in SBMA’s Warner Gallery May 24–August 24, 2025 and includes 15 paintings by Daniel and 23 paintings and a site-specific installation by Kauffman. The exhibition is organized by Frances Jacobus-Parker, curator of exhibitions and the collection, with Josh Miller, associate curator and collections manager, and Morgan Watters, preparator.