“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.” — John Muir

My work is an exploration of nature, conflicts within and with man. I aim to explore man’s need to conquer and control nature. Specifically I am interested in the adverse results of these actions.

The Pollinator series explores the plight of our pollinating bees, which have been dying off at alarming rates in recent years. They are believed to be victihms of a new pesticide combined with our monoculture farming practices. Bees pollinate a huge amount of the foods we eat. The loss of this species would be devastating to humans. Many are unaware of this connection and how food is grown in general. The series was done to raise awareness of this issue and how dependent we are on pollinating animals. Hummingbirds, bats and various other pollinating animals are included in the paintings.

The power line tree series depicts trees that have been «pruned» around power lines and now have eerie silhouettes. The series is painted on colored transparent plexiglas grounds, which highlight the odd shapes. Trees, which would have been old, and majestic, are now compromised, for our convenience.

Currently I am working on a series about controversial predators in our country and, not surprisingly, have just started a series about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Surface plays an important part of my work. The paintings are done on aluminum panels, acrylic sheets (plexiglas) or a layering of both. The aluminum surface has a reflective sheen, which changes the look of the piece, based on the light or position of the viewer. I find this quality appealing because it mimics the shifting phases of light in nature. The acrylic sheet in clear is painted on both sides to create more depth while still retaining transparency and transparent colors can be layered giving additional depth. The Pollinators series uses of gold mirror as the back layer conveys the essence of pollination. In pieces where the paintings continue off the panels, the sculptures are recycled aluminum cans.

Cara Enteles lives and works in NYC and northeast PA where she also maintains a large organic garden that informs her work. She is featured in the 2006 Mid-Atlantic edition of New American Paintings and is in the Public Collections of PricewaterhouseCoopers, The Royal Caribbean Cruise line, The Intercontinental Hotel, Tiffany and Company, and Hewitt as well as numerous private collections and commissioned pieces.

Awards include inclusion in the Art in Embassies program at the American Embassy in the Mauritius 2007-2009, a Fellowship to the Julia & David White Artist's Colony, 2005, a studio at the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts 2004-2008, and a grant from the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance Fellowship for the Visual Arts, 2002. She has a BFA from Parsons School of Design and has also studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts.