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The Intersecting Ecologies exhibition is about energy. On the one hand, it is an exploration of the unintended consequences that occur when people look to explore—and in many cases, exploit—natural resources to satiate their appetite for power. Just as importantly, however, this is an exhibition that buzzes with creative energy. It is a testament to the electricity that can be generated when two artists pursue a shared vision, with just the right amount of friction along the way. Together, Paula Gerstenblatt and Jan Piribeck are a force, and it has been a pleasure to watch their illuminating collaboration come to life.
The exhibition represents the culmination of years of collaborative research, artistic output and community-engaged practice by Gerstenblatt and Piribeck in a range of coastal settings, from Greenland to Maine. Their work is based on exploring the interplay between internal processing systems and the external flow of information. This creates a space where diverging views and processes can remain distinct and productively collide. The diverse use of materials, textures, and media make tangible the complexity of the themes, experiences, and perspectives expressed by the artists in ways that integrate fragments and layers into a cohesive whole. It was apparent throughout their research and creative process how well the artistic duo has learned to navigate ambiguity and complexity in tandem over time.
Their work is influenced by the Deep Ecology movement, and a shift away from anthropocentrism, which sees humans as the most important beings, to ecocentrism, where all life forms have inherent value. Animated by this philosophical perspective, the artists emphasize interdependence and impermanence in the systems–both environmental and cultural–which they study.
The Parsonage Gallery is proud to present the Intersecting Ecologies exhibition and related public programming. As both have revealed, the ‘value’ of natural ecosystems are rhetorically constructed and reconstructed over time. We need to take a long view of ecology and discourse itself. Doing this properly requires a serious investment of energy, both creative and intellectual. And we are fortunate to have in these artists two expert guides.

Aaron Rosen
Director of the Parsonage Gallery