Douglas R Smith

Ashland, Oregon

Fire, Ruin, Witness

I have photographed the aftermath of fires in the landscape since the 1990s. Hiking in hillsides scarred by forest fires, I felt sadness and concern for the environment as we know it.  At the same time, I sensed the irony of the visual beauty in the deserted gray terrains.

In recent work, during the explosive Almeda Fire in Southern Oregon in 2020, the same tension existed. This fire struck closer to home and destroyed thousands of residences.  People that I knew lost their homes and possessions and several regional and historical landmarks were destroyed.

Like before, as a photographer, I felt a sense of responsibility to bear witness; and as an artist, I responded emotionally to the silence and stillness. In the scorched spaces, there was the weight of human, animal and environmental loss, but I still wanted to visually convey a sense of quiet beauty.  It seemed contradictory, but central to my intention.

As subject matter, fire and its aftermath have become symbols of global warming - more frequent, immediate, and threatening - especially in the American West.  From scores of images made during this time, these ten photographs offer a perspective of the visual, cultural, and physical change in our environment - one that signals what may lie ahead.