The Plants We Live With by Forrest Zerbe
Photogram by Forrest Zerbe
“I have taken these Silver Gelatin Photograms one step further by soaking the print in a very acidic solution to bleach the image out and lift the blacks. This process was first developed by Jean-Pierre Sudre in the 1960’s. It is referred to as Mordancage.”
Carbondale Arts presented “The Plants We Live With”, a solo exhibition by Forrest Zerbe, at the Carbondale Arts R2 Gallery, on exhibition August 6 through September 10, 2021. The public was invited to an outdoor artist talk (see link below to view) on First Friday evening, August 6, at 5:15pm at The Launchpad to hear Forrest speak, along with artist Nancy Lovendahl, whose solo show “Small Glimpses, Many Times: Mt. Sopris Edition” began the same day.
Photography was once a very hands on discipline. As digital technology has progressed, the evolution of photography has turned away from that hands on element to embrace machine produced prints. Originally the photographer was much like a print maker except they used light to draw with. These works are an attempt to revisit the basics of photography while speaking about our environment on an emotional level.
Traditional photographer Forrest Zerbe’s subject of choice for this body of work is local botanicals. Most of these plants were found on his small farm right outside of his darkroom. Forrest uses the plants as characters in an attempt to construct a narrative landscape. This relationship between the controllable and the uncontrollable creates a dichotomy between the subjects (the plants) and their environment. On a personal level, this is how I feel about the current state of our environment. The chaos of all that is happening, that is out of our control, is much like the chaos surrounding my subjects.
*Due to the unpredictable nature of the pandemic, the surge in Delta variant cases, and our commitment to be responsible to our constituents and ourselves, masks will be required at all events and openings, regardless of vaccination status.
“The Plants We Live With” is generously sponsored by Power Surge Productions, creating films since 2009. Thank you!
This exhibition opened the same dates (August 6 - September 10, 2021) as “Small Glimpses, Many Times: Mt. Sopris Edition” by Nancy Lovendahl.
Forrest Zerbe, traditional photographer, Grand Junction, CO
As a child, adventure was Forrest's first priority. Days were spent in the woods near his family home in western Pennsylvania where he used his imagination and creativity to construct a world of adventure. Forrest's college years were spent traveling the country looking to quench that thirst for adventure. He spent time at many different Universities studying many different things.
Creating with his hands had always made Forrest feel grounded and gave him a sense of calm. For this reason, he happened upon Art School, Herron School of Art and Design. Herron opened up the idea that maybe he could make art into not only his passion but also his profession.
Herron led to Forrest getting into graduate school at Savannah College of Art and Design. SCAD was the type of place where creativity thrived and was supported by the faculty and administration.
Forrest completed his MFA degree in Photography in 2003 and is currently an award winning artist, educator and adventurer living in Grand Junction, Colorado.
Artist talk with Forrest Zerbe on Friday, August 6.
Enjoy a virtual tour of "The Plants We Live With" and "Small Glimpses, Many Times: Mt. Sopris Edition", on exhibition at the R2 Gallery from August 6-September 10, 2021.
Take your own tour of this exhibit here.