Photography by Margaret Doell
The intensity, destruction, and resurrection of the West Fork, Papoose, and Windy Pass wildfires is conveyed in the photography exhibit Transformation. The images, by Margaret Doell and Cheryl Ravens, will be on display in the Adams State University Art Department FRONT exhibit area from January 19 through February 27. An opening reception will be held from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. Tuesday, January 27. The event is free and open to the public.
Ravens and Doell said their goal is to give the viewer a sense of wonderment in the burn alongside its sheer destruction.
Photograph by Cheryl Ravens
The Rio Grande National Forest fires burned approximately 109,615 acres in the summer of June, 2013. "By working through the initial ‘hot burn’ of the fire through its containment, we hope to communicate the power of the burn from the smoke and huge cloud plumes, through the rebirth of the forest 15 months later. In order to capture the emotion of the fire we have combined our photographs with actual burned items, remnant reminders of its intensity."
A sense of moving through the forest will be created by hanging photographs at varying heights from the ceiling. As stewards of the land and enthusiasts of hiking the Rio Grande National Forest, both artists have strong feelings about the fire and its aftermath. "After a powerful fire there is a bit yin and yang; the shock at the amount of land claimed vs. the joy of seeing the land being reborn."
For more information contact the Art Department at 719-587-7823.
