Work samples

  • Ghost Forest no.5, digital photography 44 x 72 giclée print
    Ghost Forest no.5, digital photography 44" x 72" giclée print

     The Ghost Forest series is an ongoing photographic documentation begun in the summer of 2022. Depicting the emergence of ghost forests along the mid-Atlantic coasts, particularly in the DelMarVa area. When salt water is pushed inland into freshwater ecosystems due to storms, rising sea level, and climate change, the salinity of the soil becomes too high. The Atlantic White Cedar is particularly susceptible to the high salinity, and is the first species to die.  The skeletal white trunks standing against lush landscape are sounding the alarm of a changing climate. This stark contrast is both beautiful and disconcerting, creating visual and literal gaps in the density of the forest. In the "Ghost Forest" series, the image persists in its reproduction, while the subjects themselves are deteriorating into near disappearance. Can experiences and perceptions become fabrications or by products of photography?

About SHERRY

Sherry Insley is a mixed media artist working primarily in photographic and light sensitive processes to explore themes of temporality. Her current work, Ghost Forest, documents the emergence of this environmental phenomena along the Mid Atlantic coastal areas, and the… more

Ghost Forest Series

 The Ghost Forest series is an ongoing photographic documentation begun in the summer of 2022. Depicting the emergence of ghost forests along the mid-Atlantic coasts, particularly in the DelMarVa area. When salt water is pushed inland into freshwater ecosystems due to storms, rising sea level, and climate change, the salinity of the soil becomes too high. The Atlantic White Cedar is particularly susceptible to the high salinity, and is the first species to die.  The skeletal white trunks standing against lush landscape are sounding the alarm of a changing climate. This stark contrast is both beautiful and disconcerting, creating visual and literal gaps in the density of the forest. In the "Ghost Forest" series, the image persists in its reproduction, while the subjects themselves are deteriorating into near disappearance. Can experiences and perceptions become fabrications or by products of photography?

  • Ghost Forest
    Ghost Forest

    The Ghost Forest series is an ongoing photographic documentation begun in the summer of 2022. Depicting the emergence of ghost forests along the mid-Atlantic coasts, particularly in the DelMarVa area. When salt water is pushed inland into freshwater ecosystems due to storms, rising sea level, and climate change, the salinity of the soil becomes too high. The Atlantic White Cedar is particularly susceptible to the high salinity, and is the first species to die. Large scale black and white digital photograph, 24" x 36" giclée print, 2023

Reverberate

Reverberate is an experimentation in alternative processes in the darkroom. Film and camera-less, these images are created with only light, water and motion. The unique lines and patterns in the images appear as the water vibrates during exposure. Processed in traditional darkroom chemistry and one of a kind, these images are visual representations of sound. More current work incorporates original sound composed in collaboration with musician Mitch Maltese.

  • Reverberate
    Reverberate

    Reverberate is an experimentation in alternative processes in the darkroom. Film and camera-less, these images are created with only light, water and motion. The unique lines and patterns in the images appear as the water vibrates during exposure. Processed in traditional darkroom chemistry and one of a kind, these images are visual representations of sound. More current work incorporates original sound composed in collaboration with musician Mitch Maltese.

Photo Synthesis

Chlorophyll printing is an alternative photographic process using plant materials, family photographs, found objects, digitally created negatives, and sun light. Exploring the ephemeral nature of memory. More current pieces utilize images of threatened or extinct native MD plant species juxtaposed and printed on popular plants found at garden centers across the country. This a camera-less, film-less and chemical free process using the light sensitivity in plant chlorophyll. These images are not archival and will continue to develop naturally in U.V. light.

  • Alley.jpeg
    Alley.jpeg
    Plant material, UV light, Pinhole negative

Time is an Unreliable Narrator

Through alternative processes such as lumen printing, photograms, cyanotypes, anthotypes, and image transfers, I am working with the physicality of photography. What does it mean to use a tool that documents and preserves, to create images that intentionally disappear? Conversely, if the photograph lasts longer than the subject, is it that image that is  committed to memory rather than the subject itself? Can reflections and experiences become fabrications or by products of photography? Utilizing family photographs and found objects these photographic images serve as witness and documents of record, as well as manipulate and influence time. Lumen printing is a camera-less and chemical free image making process with traditional black and white darkroom paper.  Objects or layers of negatives and transparencies are used to create the composition, and the changes in color occur from the age of the expired papers, the exposure length and the the temperature. 

  • Ectoplasm
    Ectoplasm

    Ectoplasm, mixed media cyanotype and Van Dyke Brown on watercolor paper with found plants and objects, seaweed, salt water, vinegar, soap bubbles, and tumeric applied during exposure in sunlight. Cyanotypes are a historic alternative light sensitive process where the liquid cyanotype chemical is applied in layers to a surface. The image is created by laying objects, translucent images, or negatives to block or expose certain areas of the composition. The piece is exposed to UV light and developed in water. The additional colors in this piece were created by applying different herbs, soaps and salt water during the exposure process. appx. 16" x 20", 2025 

Botanicus

Working with historical alternative processes such as lumen printing, cyanotypes, and anthotypes, further examines the relationship of photographic images with time and impermanence. The first 4 images in this series are Lumen prints, created with expired black and white photographic paper. The prints cannot be fixed with traditional darkroom chemistry, and will continue to develop and change in the ambient light. The color shifts occur with the age of the paper, exposure and temperature. The last two images are cyanotypes with other pigments applied in areas. Cyanotypes are a historic alternative light sensitive process where the liquid cyanotype chemical is applied in layers to a surface. The image is created by laying objects, translucent images, or negatives to block or expose certain areas of the composition. The piece is exposed to UV light and developed in water. The additional colors in these pieces were created by applying different herbs, soaps and salt water during the exposure process. All of these images are created by contact printing with an object, usually a plant in this body of work, leaving a trace or shadow where the light cannot reach. Often these images take many hours of exposure and building up of layers. No two images can be directly replicated due to their ephemeral nature.

  • Jonquils
    Jonquils

    Lumen print, created with expired black and white photographic paper. The prints cannot be fixed with traditional darkroom chemistry, and will continue to develop and change in the ambient light. The color shifts occur with the age of the paper, exposure, temperature and the acids in the objects. 2023.

Ebb Series

 My work with historical alternative processes such as lumen printing and anthotypes, further examines the relationship of photographic images with time and impermanence. The prints cannot be fixed with traditional darkroom chemistry, which is decidedly not environmentally friendly, and will fade away in ambient light. In the Ebb project, I collect seaweed, plant material, and found objects from the areas near ghost forests. I contact print onto photographic paper leaving the translucent silhouettes, and attempt to stabilize the images with saltwater. Here salt water is an agent of preservation rather than destruction.

  • Ebb
    Ebb

    Lumen print. Seaweed on black and white photographic paper, U.V. light, stabilized with salt water.

What Remains

What Remains series is an ongoing photographic documentation begun in the summer of 2022. Depicting the emergence of ghost forests along the mid-Atlantic coasts, particularly in the DelMarVa area. When salt water is pushed inland into freshwater ecosystems due to storms, rising sea level, and climate change, the salinity of the soil becomes too high. The Atlantic White Cedar is particularly susceptible to the high salinity, and is the first species to die. This series utilizes color digital and film photography to juxtapose the vibrant invasive species with the disappearing treescape. Many images in this project use cross processed color slide film prints.

  • What Remains Series
    What Remains Series

    What Remains series is an ongoing photographic documentation begun in the summer of 2022. Depicting the emergence of ghost forests along the mid-Atlantic coasts, particularly in the DelMarVa area. When salt water is pushed inland into freshwater ecosystems due to storms, rising sea level, and climate change, the salinity of the soil becomes too high. The Atlantic White Cedar is particularly susceptible to the high salinity, and is the first species to die. This series utilizes color digital and film photography to juxtapose the vibrant invasive species with the disappearing treescape. Many images in this project use cross processed color slide film prints.

Threshold Series

"Threshold" is a photographic project documenting the atmospheric phenomenom of a temperature inversion over the ocean or other large body of water. The horizon line becomes obscured, resulting in a a temporary state of feeling unmoored. This is a liminal space, neither completely land or sea, air or water. It is an absence of footing, and a feeling of disorientation. 

  • Threshold Series
    Threshold Series
    Digital Photography Series, 24" x 37"

Untethered

Collaborative project between Sherry Insley and Mitch Maltese. Untethered is a sound and image installation, revisiting images from Threshold, and replacing the disappearing  visual information with sound. Using low frequencies, reverberations and higher pitched tones, the aim is to influence the viewer's sensory response to the images. Projected on a vertically hung screen, the sound and images slowly change and evolve while viewing. 

  • Horizonless
    Image and Sound Collaboration

Temporality Series

Photographic series shot at Lake Montebello and surrounding areas. Temperature inversions create layers of dense mist over large bodies of water or open fields. Obscuring the horizon line and landscape. The usually busy environment is muffled and rendered still in these temporarily quiet moments. 

  • Pump House
    Pump House