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- © Sarah Forbes, “Emerging American Beech Leaf, 2020”
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- © Sarah Forbes “Meadow Grass Florets, 2020”
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- © Sarah Forbes, ” Dried Grass Leaf”
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- © Sarah Forbes, “Japanese Honeysuckle Flower”
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- © Sarah Forbes, “Solomon’s Seal Bud”
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- © Sarah Forbes, “Dried American Beech Leaf, 2020”
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- © Sarah Forbes, “Japanese Maple Keys”
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- © Sarah Forbes, “Chicory Flower, 2020”
Sarah Forbes
Illuminating the Invisible
Nature is in a constant state of change. As winter turns to spring, trees appear bare and dormant in their muted shades of gray. Piles of old leaves lie on the ground below and slowly decompose. Microscopic organisms return their nutrients to the soil and complete the cycle of life, death and rebirth, keeping ecosystems in balance.
Walking through the woods on an early spring day, I was surprised to see a golden shimmer disrupt the dreary pallet of the trees. It was a dried leaf fluttering on the branch of a young American Beech. A last dance before it falls to nourish the soil. The toothed edges of its elliptical shape had curled into a delicate cone. Moving closer, I peered through my camera lens. A ray of sunlight illuminated the fractal pattern of its veins that resembled a miniature replication of its branches.
I am inspired to get a closer view. This work explores the transitions in nature that are invisible to the naked eye: the long silky hairs that cover an emerging leaf to deter hungry insects or the veins on a wing-like pod that help cut through the air as it spins in the breeze to create a new sapling. Nature evolves and endures despite dramatic changes in the environment, just as humanity must adapt in the face of its own invisible enemies.
Artist Bio
Sarah Forbes is an emerging landscape photographer based in Boston, Massachusetts whose work explores the natural world and the perspective it can reveal.
Her artistic vision has been influenced by a variety of mediums and genres. Earning her BA at Connecticut College, Sarah’s childhood interest in photography became a passion as she immersed herself in the dark room and experimented with landscape, still life and portraits while completing a minor. A career in marketing communications introduced her to graphic design and presentations, which she continued to explore through her custom stationery and invitation business and multimedia shows to celebrate milestones.
With the arrival of her two children, her camera became her companion while documenting their adventures. As they grew to adolescents and no longer wanted to be her muse, she turned her lens to their athletic contests and captured the finesse and emotions of the players. With her passion rekindled, Sarah began taking workshops at the New England School of Photography and had her first group exhibition “Quintet” at the Garner Center for Photographic Exhibitions in January 2020. She is currently enrolled in the Griffin Museum’s Photography Atelier 32, which will culminate with an exhibition in September 2020.
Contact Sarah Forbes