Anyone old enough to remember the notorious 1989 Central Park jogger assault will associate the term “wilding” with shocking brutality. But Julie Wolfe — whose unfortunately named exhibition “Rewilding” opens Saturday with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. at Hemphill Fine Arts — probably doesn’t mean it like that, despite her previous work that has addressed death.
With this title, the Washington-based painter of nature-themed abstraction questions our disconnection with nature, inviting us to reevaluate our place in it. The show, which includes paintings, mixed-media works on paper, mercury glass and installation, is part of the gallery’s year-long 20th-anniversary celebration.