Where Wolves - Forsberg Gallery
Where Wolf OR7: A Remembrance and Where Wolf Whychus Creek are stop-motion animations created with multi-media drawings on paper that have been cut, folded and otherwise manipulated. They are part of the Where Wolves series which was inspired by the reintroduction of wolves to the western US and the lore of the were-wolf with a play on the name to reference “place” and ideas of exploration, migration, isolation, extinction, instinct and loneliness. This ongoing series embraces the lore of metamorphosis as an entry point to explore human/wildlife coexistence and conflicts in the northwestern region of the US. The series has developed into work about Oregon wolves that have been poached or have otherwise died by illegal or suspicious means.
The Oregon wolf OR7 was the original inspiration for this series that began in 2011, wildlife biologists believe 11-year-old OR7 died in 2021. In an attack on science and wildlife Grey wolves were stripped of Endangered Species Act protections in the lower 48 states in October 2020. The science and research supporting coexistence with apex predators such as grey wolves inform this series with the hope that improved and more effective equipment and techniques will be developed.