VCP’s PRINT GALLERY

February 2025 Featured Artist:

FOREST SIMON
“OUT TOWARD THE PASTURES, WOODS, AND FIELDS”

Opening Reception:  Friday February 7th,  2024, 5-8PM

Growing up in rural New Hampshire, farms were integral to my daily life. They were not merely places I passed by or sourced products from; they were spaces I lived among and regularly interacted with. Because of this, farmers were never an abstract idea of a man in dirty overalls with a pitchfork; they were my neighbors, friends, and teachers.

The most thorough visual documentation of American farmers comes from the Farm Security Administration. During the late 1930s and early 1940s, the agency’s photographers collected tens of thousands of photographs capturing the lives of farmers. At that time, the American farming class was struggling due to the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. Today, American farmers face a different set of challenges: a rapidly changing climate,the dominance of large agribusinesses, and a decrease in land availability.

The Hudson River Valley serves as a microcosm of the wider farming world. It is home to small family farms and corporatized megafarms, middle-class locals and wealthier residents from New York City, conservative old-school farmers and younger generations with evolving ideas about how farms should operate. This diversity allows for a wide range of farming approaches, all coexisting in the same region.

Through this project, I aim to communicate what I have learned—and continue to learn—about farmers: the intricacies of their lives, their unique hardships, and their deep care for the land. Digital photography was chosen for its flexibility and ease, but the focus remains on the stories and realities of these individuals. This project is ongoing.