documenting climate change through art
The artist says, "My hope is that these drawings bring awareness, and invite viewers to share the urgency in a hopeful and meaningful way. Art can facilitate a deeper understanding of any crisis, helping us find meaning and optimism in shifting landscapes."
As a continuation of her work addressing climate change, Forman also visited the Maldives. She explains, "As the lowest-lying country in the world, the Maldives will likely be the first nation submerged by rising seas."
BP: You traveled a lot with your family from a very early age. What triggered your interest and compassion for our precious nature and our environment?
ZF: All the traveling I did throughout my childhood gave rise to my love of landscape. I developed an appreciation for the beauty and vastness of the ever-changing sky and sea. I loved watching a far-off storm on the western desert plains; the monsoon rains of southern India; and the cold arctic light illuminating Greenland's waters. In my work I explore moments of transition, turbulence and tranquility in the landscape and their impact on the viewer. In this process I am reminded of how small we are when confronted with the powerful forces of nature.
BP: You draw with your fingers. Is that a way for you to feel ‘connected’ to your subject(s), to nature, a type of a continuity between you and your art?
ZF: I have been drawing since I was a child, and using my palms and fingers to move the material on the paper always made sense to me. Although I believe I was using my hands before this, I do recall one moment when I was about 12. I was working on a pencil drawing (I think it was a copy of a Da Vinci portrait) and I used my finger to smudge the graphite, to make a smooth fading effect. It felt like an exciting discovery at the time!
BP: You were very close to your mother, a remarkably accomplished photographer and artist. What do you think your mother’s legacy is to you?
ZF: My mother's sickness and passing was by far the most challenging experience of my life. I had never before faced such a tremendous loss. The mourning process I went though (and continue to go through) shaped and paralleled the concept of the trip I led to honor her, which in turn had significant effects on my art. The work I went on to create addresses the concept of saying goodbye on scales both global and personal. In Greenland, I scattered my mother’s ashes amidst the melting ice.
I think of fulfilling my mother's dream to follow Bradford's voyage in Greenland was one of the most meaningful gifts my mother gave me. Evolving the project to include the Maldives was a breakthrough for my work.
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