Pons/Greenslade Show

Chatham Artists Guild
artstour@blast.com
http://www.chathamartistsguild.org/

Force of Nature

When Juan Pons and Forrest Greenslade met only a few years ago, they realized that they had much in common. They both had technical backgrounds. They both were involved with the Chatham Artists Guild – Pons now serves as Vice President and Greenslade as President. Most important, they share a love of nature. They express that love with very different visions at the Carolina Brewery in October and November in a new Carolina Brewery and Grill Show, Force of Nature. Pons’ nature photography presents a life-like glimpse of the natural world he has loved and studied for years. Greenslade expresses a somewhat off beat perspective through his sculpture and acrylic paintings of animals and mythical creatures based on nature. Art- and nature-lovers alike can meet these artist friends at a reception at the Chatham Carolina Brewery on Route 15/501 just North of Pittsboro on Sunday, November 2nd from 4 to 6 PM.

Juan A. Pons (www.wildnaturephoto.com) was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. At the age of sixteen, Juan began attending high school at Chapel Hill-Chauncey Hall in Waltham, Massachusetts. “The school had an excellent photography program lead by an inspiring teacher, Alice Solorow,” Pons recalls “and it was here that my interest in photography began. Upon graduating from high school, Juan attended Clark University where he continued to pursue his interests in photography and gained experience working with the media. Following his four years in college, Juan's photography pursuits yielded to his professional career demands and he has pursued a very successful career as a computer engineer. After several years, Juan picked up photography with renewed vigor focusing on nature and wildlife. “I converted to digital equipment due to the tremendous advantages digital technology offers. Digital photography allows me to have the same control over images that I once had when I developed and printed my own black and white images,” Pons explains. While Juan now uses digital technology exclusively, his images are unaltered and present subjects as they appear in nature. Juan never ceases to be amazed by the natural subjects he photographs and hopes that sharing his photographs will inspire others to appreciate and respect natural life.

Forrest C Greenslade, PhD (www.forrestgreenslade.com) views himself as a change artist. “I have reinvented myself several times over the years.” he quips. In high school and college, he played jazz and rock guitar. Educated as a molecular biologist, Dr. Greenslade conducted basic and clinical research at the Atomic Energy Commission and in the pharmaceutical industry. He then transformed himself into a manager and executive, holding leadership positions in both commercial and non-profit organizations. Most recently, he served as President of an international women’s health organization. Greenslade then evolved into a writer and speaker. He captured his experiences in his book, The Simple-Minded Manager: Cutting Through Your work-Life Chaos.
Greenslade says, “In my dotage, I underwent yet another metamorphosis.” He became an artist. Forrest creates whimsical sculptures, primarily in metal and concrete, and acrylic paintings which he calls Forrest DwellersSM. “I am fascinated with surfaces,” he says. His sculptures employ unusual surface treatments, and his paintings are nearly sculptural. Greenslade’s work is stylized, to the point of being almost cartoon like. There is a naïve, even child like, quality his sculptures and paintings. “After a long life working on serious issues, it is refreshing to let the little boy out,” Greenslade smiles.

The Chatham Artists Guild (www.chathamartistsguild.org) is a non-profit organization of regionally and nationally recognized visual artists. Each year, Guild members open their studios to the public through the Chatham Open Studio Tour. Visitors travel throughout lovely rural Chatham County to meet artists in their own work spaces, and share their ideas on art and the creative process.

Carolina Brewery (www.carolinabrewery.com) a locally-owned brewery and restaurant, has drawn international attention for its handcrafted beers and traditional bar fare in its Chapel Hill and new Pittsboro locations.

Caption: Luna Moth, a photograph by Juan Pons, and Jackson’s Pollock, a sculpture in concrete and steel by Forrest Greenslade.