River Talk with Spokane Photographer Charley Gurche
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The Forum is proud to contribute to Spokane’s evolving culture of stewardship. For us, it’s not enough to simply inform you about our work to sustain our region’s lifeblood; we also want to inspire you to experience it. In the words of Edward Abbey, “It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it.”
Our new “River Talk Series” will feature articles on artists, writers, kayakers, anglers, rafters, and adventurers of all kinds. People who remind us what’s in our backyard.
We begin with Charley Gurche, a nationally renowned nature photographer and a local Inland Northwest explorer for thirty years. His willingness to get lost in nature has led him to secret ice-skating spots, unmarked swimming holes, hidden trails, and uncharted views. Charley never forgets the importance of messing around outside.
Gurche’s exploration extends to his photography as well. He’s developed a new technique to capture the movement of water over river stones. Said Gurche of his new work, “I love the combination of art with science with education. I love trying to merge all those things. My idea is to get an exhibit going of Spokane water—fairly abstract—that will draw people in with visuals and also teach them something.” The technique plays on the light’s refection and refraction over shallow river stones to create an abstract representation of movement and color. The colors radiating from the stones speak to the unique hydrology and geology of each location.
The project also holds an environmental lesson. Algae, caused by pollutants, make it difficult for Gurche to find clean stones. He often has better luck trekking up to remote mountain streams. The clean stones Gurche does find are a testament to both the relative preservation of our urban river, and also a reminder of what we’d like to see everywhere. Gurche is quick to say that, “The overall awareness has changed since we moved to town about thirty years ago, and there’s just a lot less tolerance for polluting the river.”
As a happy holidays present, Gurche shared his favorite swimming hole on the Spokane, “”It’s a place sometimes called ‘Big Eddy,’ below the George Fort Wright Cemetery. It’s really quite beautiful. It’s a short walk down and then you can’t see any houses.There’s a cliff with these swallows that are always flying around.” So there you have it, a tip from the master.
For prints, books, and commercial installation visit Gurche’s website at http://charlesgurche.com.