Phytograms - Plants and Films

This is a free workshop as part of the bi annual Moab Arts Reuse Residency. 

Workshop is an open house style, come by anytime between 2-5 p.m. to join!

Phytograms are created by the exposure of black and white film overlaid with plant material and dried in direct sunlight. Participants will soak plants in organic and eco-friendly film developer, then will place flowers and leaves onto 16mm film. We will be creating collaborative experimental images on film and photo paper together!

No experience is necessary. Please bring any leaves, flowers, stems and grasses, you want to work with. This workshop includes all film, chemistry, and supplies for use during the workshop. A scanned version of the film we make together will be available after the workshop.

Artist Statement: During my Moab Arts Re-Use Residency, I’ll be focused on using current eco-friendly and environmentally sustainable film development methodologies while developing new techniques through natural materials. I’ll be using material waste to create pinhole cameras which I’ll also be taking photos on and shooting with. The goal is to create both still and moving images using the environmentally friendly and sustainable film development practices, most importantly share them with community through workshops, and have fun making images!

Cole Forrest is an Anishinaabe Filmmaker, Writer, and Curator from Nipissing First Nation. Cole is a recipient of the Ken and Ann Watts Memorial Scholarship, imagineNATIVE Director’s Lab, and of the James Bartleman Indigenous Youth Creative Writing Award. They are the 2019 recipient of the imagineNATIVE + LIFT Film Mentorship and a 2020 Artist in Residence as a part of the Sundance Native Filmmakers Lab. Cole is a 2023 participant of the Reelworld E20 Program and the 2024 emerging curator-in-residence at Images Festival. This summer Cole will be a artist-in-residence with Moab Art’s Re-Use Residency. Cole has supported programming at festivals including TIFF, imagineNATIVE, VIFF, Santa Fe International Film Festival, and Pathways Indigenous Film Festival. Cole has been published in GRAIN Magazine, and released a debut co-authored poetry collection titled “Once The Smudge Is Lit” in 2024. Cole is currently developing new film and writing projects including their first feature film. They are grateful to represent their community in all artistic pursuits.

Please reach out to Moab Arts staff via email at marcadmin@moabcity.org or by phone at 435-259-6272 for more information or to be added to the waitlist.