The Forge River isn’t the most dramatic ecological disaster you’ll hear about. It wouldn’t be splashed along the headlines like an oil spill or fracking contamination or the run-off from a strip mine. The Forge River is a far more staid affair, spanning generations of mundanity. Ducks shitting downstream. Cesspools seeping slowly into the bogs. It’s a bit like the raw beauty of Long Island itself, going unnoticed, unremarked upon, unknown. Johnny Panessa is a prodigal son of the Mastics, returning some eight years ago to his childhood home. For the last few years he’s been documenting the culture around the river, a place he refers to as the “one of the last places Long Island still feels like Long Island.” Along the Forge is a photographic essay about ecological degradation amidst the magic of dock culture.

Opening Reception Friday April 4th from 6-10 PM at PF Gallery.