Linda Mylin Ross

imagesThis body of work refers to the unrelenting commercial development occurring here in the formerly lush, fertile countryside. Lancaster County's woods and farmland are being replaced by suburban tract housing and retail space at an alarming rate. Disappearing with this development is the habitat of hundreds of creatures.In The Turtle's View, this endangered animal surveys his disappearing natural habitat on the edge of a huge housing development that is advancing toward him. The large drawing to the left of this vertical series shows the scenic hillside across the road as seen from between two of the new houses.Farmland and natural landscapes are replaced by rows of boxes with no architectural grace, apparently an aesthetic (or lack of) with which many people are willing to live. Signaling the onset of still another commercial development are the ubiquitous little shrubs planted where beautiful old trees used to stand and where the soil yielded abundant produce. Everywhere in the county one can see large signs advertising future development or lots for sale. Meanwhile, existing architectural stock, especially in the county's little towns, sits empty.The drawings on exhibit are part of a larger body of charcoal work addressing the same issues. They relate to actual places and are derived from on site studies and photographs. Charcoal is the medium of choice as its starkness and absence of color evoke the loss of verdant landscape. My art is intended to call attention to a situation many may not notice as suburban sprawl has become so common it is accepted as a norm.