‘So Little to Do,’ so much to discover at James Barron Art

“The Grass Has So Little to Do,” on view at James Barron Art in Kent, takes its title from Emily Dickinson’s poem “The Grass So Little Has to Do,” written in 1862:

“The Grass so little has to do—
A Sphere of simple Green—
With only Butterflies to brood
And Bees to entertain—”

Curated by Deborah Goodman Davis, the exhibition borrows Dickinson’s meditation on the natural world as both its title — with a subtle shift — and guiding principle. The exhibition gathers more than 30 contemporary artists whose work examines flowers, leaves, insects, landscapes and changing light — not through scientific observation, but through memory, imagination and deep attention.

“I started spending so much time in the country that I began seeing things differently,” said Davis, a Montreal native. “I became drawn to artists who were also looking at nature.”

Davis has spent decades working in museums, galleries and as an art advisor, including positions at the Art Institute of Chicago, Yale University Art Gallery and with influential dealer Jeffrey Deitch, before returning to curatorial work in recent years. This is her third exhibition with James Barron Art, following last year’s “Boundless Color.”

The exhibition’s emotional anchor is Dickinson’s poem, which marvels at grass, butterflies, bees and sunlight while imagining a life devoted simply to existing in the natural world. The poem, and its simple and reverent message, echoes throughout the exhibition.

Spencer Finch’s drawing titled “Following Three Bees (Zinnias)” tracks the movement of three bees as they moved from flower to flower in the artist’s garden. Standing on a ladder, Finch patiently followed their movements, recording each insect’s path with a different line.

Montreal-based painter Veronika Pausova’s luminous moth paintings next to Finch’s work carry a thread — literally. Whether Pausova was familiar with Finch’s drawings before creating her painting “Cabin’s Moon,” commissioned by Davis for this show, is unknown, but the placement is certainly intentional. Davis’ thoughtful curatorial approach creates conversations, quiet whispers and surprisingly funny moments throughout the space.

Toba Khedoori, an Australian-born artist of Iraqi-Jewish heritage, contributes exquisitely detailed mezzotints that transform ordinary grasses into monumental landscapes. “Imagine rolling in the grass before ticks,” Davis said with a laugh. One is left longing for such a simple pleasure, the work inviting viewers to imagine a connection to the natural world that feels both familiar and increasingly distant.

One of Wassaic Project co-founder Eve Biddle’s ceramic snakes slithers up a nearby side wall, while internationally recognized artists including Ellsworth Kelly, Alex Katz, Lois Dodd, Kiki Smith and Charles Gaines offer their own interpretations of leaves, flowers, trees and changing seasons.

The exhibition also highlights several artists with local ties. Yale Norfolk School of Art co-director Byron Kim contributes one of his contemplative “Sunday Paintings,” documenting the sky over Norfolk alongside personal diary-like observations.

One of the show’s most unexpected works isn’t visual at all.

Inspired by Dickinson’s line, “And even when it dies to pass / In odors so divine,” Davis commissioned Brian Goeltzenleuchter, an interdisciplinary artist working at the intersection of olfactory art, social engagement, and image making to create a scent for the exhibition. “The grass so little has to do, I wish I were the hay!” wrote Dickinson, so Goeltzenleuchter created the scent of fresh hay specifically for the exhibition. Fragile glass vials sit in a bed of marble, waiting to be broken to release the scent, which also lives under a glass enclosure dewy with its fragrance. The faint odor permeates the gallery, adding an immersive sensory layer that extends the show’s meditation beyond sight alone.

There are quieter surprises throughout: concrete casts preserving cherry blossoms that will slowly fade over time by Japanese artist Motohiro Takeda; carvings of owls in Arctic marble by Sam Akesuk, an Indigenous artist from Kinngait (Cape Dorset); paintings of moonlight; the intricacy of spider webs placed next to a graph-like drawing of a tree; and Kiki Smith’s shadow of birds by the windows overlooking the majestic scenery of Barron’s property.

For Davis, the idea for this show has been growing since she began spending more time in the Northwest Corner.

“It’s been percolating for six years,” she said.

The resulting exhibition rewards viewers willing to do the same.

“The Grass Has So Little to Do” is on view at James Barron Art in Kent through Sept.12. By appointment only. Email maria@jamesbarronart.com or call (917) 514-3762. For a catalog of the exhibition, visit jamesbarronart.com.