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GRETCHEN A. FERBER HOME

Photographs from Nepal Series
Identity in Transition Series
The Power and the Glory Series
Diversity of Spirituality
The Power and the Glory Series
Something More Out of Life
Something More Out of Life
Something More Out of Life
Diversity of Spirituality
Closing Catholic Churches
The Power and the Glory Series
Closing Catholic Churches
Since Feeling is First
Since Feeling is First
Since Feeling is First
Since Feeling is First

ABOUT

Gretchen Ferber is an artist, researcher, traveler, and life-long student currently living outside Cleveland, Ohio. Born in a small town on Lake Erie called Vermilion, Ohio, she grew up on the lake among brothers, parents, and a hoard of extended family and friends. She graduated from Duke University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion and a Minor in Visual Arts. Post-college, she spent a year in the Philippines working as a human rights worker and lived in Boston as a Lewis Hine Documentary Fellow from the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke, working with a diverse urban community.
Gretchen recently completed her Master of Fine Arts degree from University of Cincinnati with certificates in Curatorial Practice and Museum Studies. She came to UC as a photographer but developed into a multi-media artist; she now works in installation, sound, and performance. Her interests include everyday rituals, methodologies of artist as anthropologist, dialogical praxis, and grounding practices (those practices that metaphorically ground a person). She has traveled the world photographing and conducting ethnographic research, in places such as Nepal, Mexico, and Scotland. She loves giving and receiving letters, listening to life stories, and living, at times, on a sailboat.

Gretchen Ferber CV.pdf

PROJECTS 2009-11

Identity in Transition

Boston, Massachusetts

Something More Out of Life

Boston, Massachusetts

a creation

Cincinnati, Ohio

A LONG NOW

Cincinnati, Ohio

2011

Since Feeling is First, Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition

Cincinnati, Ohio

2009

2010

Identity in Transition

Identity in Transition, Lewis Hine Documentary Fellowship

Forming one's identity during adolescence is rarely an uncomplicated process. The girls of the Artful Transformations Program (ATP) at United South End Settlements, a Boston non-profit, not only undergo the common trials of adolescence but also face many significant, additional challenges. Through artful expression, they try to find their own voice amidst the turmoil that characterizes this period of identity formation. For this collaborative photography project, I focused on identity from three perspectives: how the girls see themselves while in ATP, outside of ATP (for example, at home and in school), and how they imagine their future selves. Using a large format camera, I asked the girls to posed as each self while I photographed them. I then asked them to draw on the negatives to express their reactions. What emerged is a glimpse into not only some discrepancies between how they see themselves within the nurturing walls of ATP versus out in the world but also their hopes for the future.

Something More Out of Life

Something More Out of Life, Lewis Hine Documentary Fellowship
The economic crisis in the United States, as reflected by the highest unemployment rates since the Great Depression, has prompted Americans to question their expectation of permanent prosperity. The American Dream is based on the presumption that individuals, through hard work and determination, can achieve affluence. Hand-in-hand with hard work and self-sufficiency exists a long-standing American belief in the value of education. Around the world, educational attainment, along with eight other key indicators such as health and democracy, predicts a countrys prosperity. The United States currently ranks ninth in the world in prosperity and seventh in educational attainment, but these rankings are falling. In spite of the fact that many American universities are regarded as among the best in the world, in 2003 11 million adults over the age of sixteen in the United States remained illiterate in English. Currently, another 30 million adults are considered to have below basic level in literacy skills, and 63 million can perform only simple and everyday literacy tasks. Nationwide, 3 million adults are enrolled in adult education and workforce skills programs, but millions remained underserved. As a Lewis Hine Documentary Fellow from the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, I had the opportunity to become acquainted with adults who lacked the basic educational skills needed to compete in the workforce to earn a living wage while working with United South End Settlements (USES), a nonprofit organization in Boston, Massachusetts. USES is one of fifteen Boston-based sites committed to improving the current state of adult education. Of adults over the age of twenty-five in Boston, one in five lacks a high school diploma. In the past year, USES served 122 adults; 26 of them graduated with a GED or high school diploma. The average cost for the program is $3,000 per student. Half of the cost is provided by government contracts; the remainder is raised through private dollars. During my fellowship, I read the statistics of citywide illiteracy and high school drop-out rates as well as the particular demographics and profiles of these USES learners. As a documentarian, I listened to the life stories of students who were working hard to achieve their educational goals, from attaining literacy to acquiring a GED or a high school diploma. I met high school dropouts Christina and DeShean, teenage parents who wanted to improve themselves for their young daughter. Raymond who after being in prison a total of thirty years turned to school rather than to drugs and crime as he had after previous releases. Kendeya, an immigrant from Ethiopia, dreamed of sending his son to college but first needed a better job with better pay. Older learners, like Thomas, wanted to inspire their children and grandchildren by providing a lasting legacy of commitment to education. Other individuals featured in this exhibit overcame addiction, challenged racism and sexism, and faced their personal difficulties and previous setbacks in order to go back to school. While the individuals represented in these photographs are participants in a single program in Boston, their stories are echoed by people involved in similar organizations across the United States. Collectively, these portraits and stories of adult learners reveal some of the major gaps in our educational system, and at the same time reinforce and make tangible the life-changing effects that educational competency has on those who have the opportunity and support to succeed. They also point to the necessary investment in education throughout a persons life. The educational achievement of parents affects the achievement of children and grandchildren. Ill-educated children develop into illiterate adults; likewise, illiterate adults are unequipped to foster educational success in their children. During this pivotal time of re-evaluation of American values, a commitment to adult education and an investment in associated programs are imperative to improve the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans.The Lewis Hine Documentary Fellows Program is a project of the Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) at Duke University. Each year, Hine Fellows are sent to work domestically and abroad with local organizations to document humanitarian issues over the course of ten months. They then return to work with documentarians at CDS to continue to develop their projects. Hine Fellows, selected each spring, are graduates of Duke University or of the Continuing Education Certificate Program at CDS. The Lewis Hine Documentary Fellows Program is supported by the Philanthropic Initiative and the Jessica Jennifer Cohen Foundation. Support for this exhibit was provided by the Lewis Hine Documentary Fellows Program at the Center for Documentary Studies and the Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy at Duke University.

Christina and DeShean

Thomas

Sara

Comfort

Angela

Atarah

Julius

Barry

Benjamin

Wanita

Robert

Raymond

a creation

a creation
Time present and time pastAre both perhaps present in time future.T.S. Eliot, Burnt NortonReligious doctrine, spiritualism, or some hybridization pervade societies regardless of creed or culture. Associated beliefs, however defined, affect standards of morality, community practices, and public policy. Particular beliefs have historically caused the destruction of indigenous people's heritage, promoted physical and psychological enslavement, and lead to countless deaths in the name of a higher power. However, numerous traditions maintain the importance of community, shared belief, graciousness, compassion, and the ritual enforcement of such values. Furthermore, millions of people across the world hold religion and/or spirituality as a way to conceptualize meaning greater than the self.In recognizing the vast influence of religious/spiritual traditions, I have focused on individual practices that exist outside the realm of defined institutions. This piece represents no singular religion or spiritual form. While elements echo aspects of multiple traditions, the focus is on the personal creation of a hallowed space and a ritual practice. The space is intentionally enclosed to create a sense of solemnity. However, the interiority of the ritual space is not concealed from the external area of the gallery; gaps between the fabric curtains allow an acknowledgement of the outside world. The performance of placing beads on the twine is simultaneously a creation and a meditation. Respectively, creation and mediation connote progress and reflection. In the present moment of the performance, progress relates to the future and reflection to the past. Following the performance, the remains of the beaded twine represent a document of a past event though allow for future additions by any visitor/participant welcomed in the space.

A LONG NOW

A LONG NOW
A Collaborative ProjectIndividually, we are all concerned with the exponential growth of plastics entering our environment. Our discussions began with a conversation about the Plastic Ocean, a naturally occurring gyre of unnatural material. The plastics that make up this formation are unlikely to degrade for many lifetimes to come. We began thinking of it as a monumental structure that our generation has created. Its longevity will speak to humans in the future of our culture of excess. This led us to think of other monumental structures, ideas surrounding longevity, and other long-lasting remnants of life, such as fossils. While investigating fossils, we read from Explaining Christians to Dinosaurs by Jake Chapman. One line led to our current concept.Fossils betray their atheism by outliving the ragged flesh and lipid husk that clings to skeletal armatures for dear life.The idea of a lipid husk and the monumentality of the plastic ocean and its various forms, inspired us to create a work based around the Serpent Mound of southwest Ohio. With this local aspect, we decided to derive all of our materials (plastic bags) locally to provide a connection to our community. The shed skin that we are building represents the layers of accumulation that form over the earth due to our excessive consumption. Just as the shed skin of a snake represents a period of growth, our skin physically represents only one period of accumulated waste upon the body of the earth. Conceptually, the skin revels our ever-growing and pervasive lack of concern for our ecological future. The involvement of the Serpent Mound speaks not only to the monumental longevity of plastic but also to a mythic sense of time and space, a Big Here and a Long Now. We hope that this project will encourage viewers to think of their long-term responsibility to the planet and future generations of all living forms.

Since Feeling is First

Since Feeling is First, Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition
since feeling is firstwho pays attention to the syntax of thingswill never wholly kiss you;wholly to be a foolwhile Spring is in the worldmy blood approves,and kisses are a better fatethan wisdomlady i swear by all flowers. Dont crythe best gesture of my brain is less than your eyelids flutter which sayswe are for each other: thenlaugh, leaning back in my armsfor lifes not a paragraphAnd death i think is no parenthesise. e. cummings

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PROJECTS 2006-08

2006

Diversity of Spirituality

Durham, North Carolina

Urban Poor Realities

Tondo, Manila, Philippines

The Power and the Glory

Manila, Cebu, and Bacolod, Philippines

2007

2008

Diversity of Spirituality

Diversity of Spirituality through Photography and Written Word
In the fall of 2006 during my last year at Duke University, I set out to see how people of the Duke community were spiritually grounded. I was studying both religion and visual art, and naturally I followed my academic passions. In a highly intellectual place as Duke is, I encountered a prevalent sentiment: that a well-educated society can evolve past religion. I wanted to see if people in the Duke community were spiritually motivated, and if so, in what ways. I sought participants of diverse backgrounds, all of whom volunteered to have their spirituality represented visually. The result of this project was not only a confirmation that many people of Duke have deep, spiritual convictions but also a realization that convictions could provide the basis for a community of believers. In the following photographs, there are moments of vibrant movement and silence, ecstatic joy and solemnity. Adding to the intimate nature of these photographs are the words written by the participants themselves who reflected on the spiritual importance of their acts.

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Urban Poor Realities

Urban Poor Realities
The urban poor, who constitute one third of the population in the Philippines, reflect the urban migration of farmers that struggled in the countryside as a result of lack of land ownership. However, the promised abundance of opportunities in Manila is not so, and as a result the urban poor build their homes out of any materials they may find. Not only do they face their desperate situation daily but impending demolition of their homes also weighs on the people. Simultaneously, the military has been known to terrorize community members to discourage them from participating in any empowering programs to aid them in their fight.Living with the Ling family provided me the opportunity to understand family and communal living in Tondo. Community was vital; assistance was never asked for, it was simply given. When food was available, it was given regardless of family relation. Staying in Tondo was physically difficult, sleeping in a cramped space on a hard floor that rose only five feet above the waters and waste of Manila Bay; and emotionally challenging, understanding how this life was unbelievable to me yet such a reality for so many Filipinos. My host family's willingness to welcome me into their home, showering me with graciousness, gave me a glimpse of what it means to survive past comfort, past stability, and past hope.

The Power and the Glory

The Power and the Glory
In a country captivated by Roman Catholic religious fervor, religious icons are ubiquitous. Images of the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, and Santo Niño permeate public and private space, frequenting homes, modes of transportation, and businesses in addition to places of worship. As a foreigner, I could help but notice this visual culture of religion.What emerged in these photograph went beyond spotting religious icons. It is the silent ways that Filipinos live within this image-overloaded society that became fascinating to me. The purpose of this project developed into how subtle yet pervasive religion affects political, economic, and cultural aspects of society. What I realized is that religious icons and their influence run much deeper than what the eye simply sees.

WORKS IN PROGRESS

Closing Catholic Churches in Cleveland

Photographs from Nepal

Closing Catholic Churches

Closing Catholic Churches in Cleveland
Beginning in 2009, I have photographed Catholic Churches in Cleveland, Ohio, 52 of which closed their doors (2009-2010) as ordered by the Cleveland Catholic Diocese. I worked on creating a photographic documentary of the church interiors that would never again be open to the public as consecrated entities. I began to question the characteristics that make a space sacred. Is it only the ritual of consecration within the Catholic Church that makes those spaces sacred? What is the role of the community of believers in that space? Are their actions as important as the space itself? What happens when the space is deconsecrated?

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Photographs from Nepal

Photographs from Nepal, Wolfstein Travel Fellowship
In 2010, I conducted independent research and photographic work in Kathmandu, Nepal, made possible by the Wolfstein Travel Fellowship at the University of Cincinnati. While I proposed to study a specific Hindu and Buddhist festival, Indra Jatra, once there I became fascinated by the everyday moments of devotion that manifested themselves in simultaneously mundane and spectacular ways. I studied street shrines that are ubiquitous in Nepal, specifically the one closest to my house. I photographed on multiple occasions, on different days, and at different times. When I returned from Nepal, I examined the repetitive nature of the imagery and the role of narrative in the heterogeneous, everyday interactions around the shrine. In an effort to experiment with new sequences of photographs, I cut out small proof images, stacked them in piles, and found myself carrying the one large stack everywhere I went. The very action of carrying the stack, taking it out of my bag, and ordering and reordering the images revealed a ritualistic activity.

LOOK AT THIS

LOOK AT THIS
Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) Porchhttp://www.cdsporch.org/Ann Hamiliton Homepagehttp://www.annhamiltonstudio.com/Alex Harris Homepagehttp://alex-harris.com/CDS Lewis Hine Fellowshiphttp://cds.aas.duke.edu/hine/ferber.html

CONTACT

CONTACT

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ABOUT

PROJECTS 2009-11

Identity in Transition

Something More Out of Life

a creation

A LONG NOW

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