Forrest MacDonald

--Recipe for Disaster

Opening: Saturday, May 3, 4-7pm
Exhibition dates: May 3- June 14, 2014

New Smyrna Beach, FL ––The alt_space gallery presents Recipe for Disaster, a solo exhibition featuring diorama photography and large-scale digital collage by Tampa artist, Forrest MacDonald. The exhibition will be on view from May 3, 2014 through June 14, 2014, with an opening reception on Saturday, May 3, 4 - 7 PM. The opening reception and exhibition are free and open to the public.

Forrest MacDonald's exhibition, Recipe for Disaster, draws inspiration from natural and man-made disaster imagery sensationalized by the entertainment and news industries. MacDonald meticulously constructs small-scale models of domestic environments devastated by destruction and disaster. "By utilizing double and triple exposures, I'm able to create multiple perspectives and form a sense of movement or the appearance of chaos. I also experiment with various photographic techniques such as long exposures, shifts in scale, depth of field, and lighting to alter the appearance of my materials and the interpretation of the miniature set," explains MacDonald.

Stripped of context, the dramatic disaster zones are haunting. At first glance, MacDonald's photographs can be mistaken for a documentarian account of real-life disasters. However, upon closer examination the artist's cinematic compositions reveal the fictitious nature of the images. "My work responds to the phenomenon of disaster by creating grand, almost sublime, fictionalized photographs of active and violent destruction in order to inspire wonder and perhaps of touch of fear," states MacDonald. Despite the implied loss and despair, Recipe for Disaster is an auspicious reminder that hidden among the ruins there is potential for renewal.

Forrest MacDonald earned a B.S. degree in journalism from the University of Kansas and an MFA from the University of South Florida. He has participated in solo and group exhibitions throughout Florida. He has received numerous national and international awards for his photography. MacDonald is currently an adjunct professor of photography for the School of Art & Art History at the University of South Florida.