Written by Lilli Donohue, Photos courtesy of Stephanie Forbes and Robin Maaya
One could say Downtown Savannah has more art than the Met. We have students making so much art and many galleries and museums to collect and exhibit at. Stephanie Forbes is adding one more to the mix: the Rule of Three Gallery or RO3. “The art scene [in Savannah] is already thriving. To be a part of that is really exciting for me.” Forbes said.
The name has many meanings for Forbes past the conventional significance of a good composition. It also honors her family of three artists. She and her parents all attended SCAD. Being from Augusta, S.C. and also having family ties in the Lowcountry, she wants the gallery to involve the community and have “direct local indulgement.”
Her dream to open a gallery has been a long time in the making. However, Forbes credits its recent fruition to her last showcase, ROOT, which displayed at Cedar House Gallery last year. “I think ROOT showed me to the gallery,” Forbes said.
Her first exhibition, “Infested/Infest”, will feature her own work as a soft opening and test run for the space. She plans on showcasing artists from all over but with a special emphasis on the Savannah community. Even as I interviewed her in Forsyth park, we were surrounded by locals dancing and making palm roses during the farmer’s market. “A sign of Savannah,” she said.
Forbes also is interested in covering more than just the fine art world. Creative craftsmen like tattoo artists and chefs have a place in the field of artistic visionaries, too. She plans to have artist talks, but in a more intimate setting. These events will be catered and ticketed, acting as more of a round-table dinner with the artist.
“Infested/Infest,” explores Forbes experiences of childhood sexual trauma resulting in hypochondria in adults. Cicada’s are the jumping point of the exhibition. Forbes collected their shells as a child, and still does today. “[Cicadas are] the most beautiful signal of summer nights in the South,” she said, “They make the most peaceful sound, but are almost haunting.”
This interesting tension sets the mood for “Infested/Infest.” The artworks follow the lifecycle of a cicada. These insects live below the dirt for 8–17 years and Forbes sees this as groundwork which is reflected in her coming to terms with generational trauma and history. She wants to understand the way she exists, but also focus on how she wants to exist. When cicadas emerge, they infest. As an insect at the bottom of the food chain, they have to do this to survive. Forbes feels as if her hypochondria is an infestation of spirit. The metaphorical outline of the cicada’s life cycle shows “Infested/Infest” as an emergence of her work in its most transformed and beautiful state.
Visit Rule of Three Gallery at 915 Montgomery St., Thursday, Oct. 14 from 6–10 p.m. to view this exhibition.
