Malibu — The Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art at Pepperdine University is pleased to present Elements of Nature: Selections from the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation from August 22 through December 6, 2009.

There will be a reception to meet some of the participating artists on Friday, September 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

In the ancient world, people believed that the universe consisted of four basic elements: fire, water, earth, and air. Today, these fundamental states of matter still have the power to captivate the imagination. This exhibition, from the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation collection, explores how contemporary artists have drawn inspiration from these essential, natural states.

This theme has particular relevance in California, where artists often turn to nature for inspiration. Joe Goode’s iconic Torn Sky series from the 1970s embodies the contradictions of life in sunny but smog-filled Los Angeles. Edward Ruscha’s witty images of letters floating in the air were inspired by the grandeur of the California sky. Los Angeles Light and Space artists Jack Goldstein and Lita Albuquerque create images based on the infinity of space and time.

While many of the artists in the exhibition are from California, the roster is international and also includes painters such as the German Torben Giehler, who creates mosaic topographical patterns based on the earth’s surface.

The artists featured in the exhibition include Lita Albuquerque, Peter Alexander, Charles Arnoldi, Joe Goode, Marina Kappos, Greg Miller, Andy Moses, and Edward Ruscha, among others.

The exhibition is curated by Billie Milam Weisman.

Located on Pepperdine’s main campus at 24255 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, Calif., the museum is open Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., and is closed on Mondays and major holidays.

For more information, call (310) 506-4851 or visit http://arts.pepperdine.edu/.