Photographer aims to turn Gatlinburg tragedy into art
Natalie Neysa AlundGATLINBURG - A Nashville-area photographer is aiming to turn tragedy into beauty by shooting aerial photos of Gatlinburg wildfire victims resting on a mattress atop the ruins of their former homes and businesses.
Jeremy Cowart, known for shooting professional portraits of celebrities including Taylor Swift and Kelly Clarkson, is using powerful aerial shots from drones to not only help share the victims' stories – but keep them alive.
"The world forgets about tragedies quickly," Cowart, 39, said Tuesday. "If I can put an interesting, creative spin on a story and keep eyeballs on it longer and actually help the individuals I'm photographing, then I've done my job as an artist."
A musician, an AmeriCorps worker, and city employees including a firefighter and the mayor were among a group of 22 victims Cowart spent five straight days photographing last week.
He said he had the revelation to capture their photos via drone as he sat in the pews of Church of the City in Franklin last Sunday and thought about the aftermath of the Nov. 28 wildfire that swept through the Great Smoky Mountains tourist town. The blaze killed 14 people and burned more than 2,400 structures.
"Some of these people ... had full insurance," Cowart said. "Others legitimately have nothing and no insurance and need a lot of help."
So, following his vision, and with the assistance of more than a half-dozen crew members, Cowart loaded a white mattress into a truck and made the more than three-hour trek from Music City to Gatlinburg.
At each location, he placed the mattress over the foundation of each destroyed building, asked victims to lay on it, then using a drone, took moving, aerial shots of them.
"I thought the white mattress would give a very stark contrast to the burned homes when you look at it from a drone," he said. "The idea was to show some emotions from high above. When you see a person laying in their former home for the last time, it really gives some perspective, both literally and figuratively. And I was hoping it would be a bit therapeutic for the homeowners."
It was for 39-year-old Tommy Bullen who lost his family's 2,400-square-foot pottery studio and 2,000-square-foot blacksmith studio on Circle Drive – a space his 85-year-old grandfather bequeathed to him to use as a co-op art space with a handful of other residents.
"I grew up learning how to make things out of his space, this pottery studio," he said Tuesday as he walked across the ruins of what was left of the building, broken pieces of pottery cracking beneath his feet. "It was a place to hang out with friends and provide what they wanted to do artistically in a shared space."
Loss is something Cowart shares with the victims.
Fire destroyed a portion of Cowart's family home when he was in high school and just a few years back, his brother died of a heart attack at age 43.
Tess Werner, Gatlinburg Mayor Mike Werner's daughter, said, "The story has been so incredible; so moving to be part of it. I'm undone by the love and support from our community."
“It's really been a part of the healing process,” said the mayor, whose family lost their Greystone Heights Road home. “I'm thoroughly impressed with (Cowart's) desire to help people. A lot of people he worked with told me it's really helped them cope with a horrible time. I love the people and I just want to see them get back on their feet."
Kirk Fleta, also impacted by Cowart's project, lost his two-story, 720-square-foot music studio on an acre of land in the Norton Creek watershed.
"It’s been a whirlwind," the Gatlinburg-based songwriter said. "The only thing I walked away with was a guitar and a set of travel harmonicas and a backpack and my laptop."
His biggest loss: A journal.
"It had all my songs," he said.
Looking back, Fleta said he felt blessed to be a part of Cowart's project.
"It was beautiful. It was a trip," Fleta said. "I just had my game face on – being an entertainer you just have to keep going. I was still in a daze after losing everything I owned."
In the end, Fleta said, Cowart's creativity reminded him to hold fast to hope.
"I may have lost my home, belongings and my journal, but I can still write new songs," the musician said.
Reach Natalie Neysa Alund at nalund@tennessean.com. Follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.
Visit www.mountaintough.org for ways how to help those who were affected by the wildfires.
To donate to some of the 22 victims Cowart featured, visit the following links:
Kirk Fleta: https://www.crowdrise.com/kirk-fletas-wildfire-recovery-fund/fundraiser/kirkfleta
Kara Van Veghel: https://www.gofundme.com/help-for-kara
Katelyn Hillmeyer: https://www.gofundme.com/6wzle0
Ludden Family: https://www.gofundme.com/ludden-gatlinburg-fire-catastrophe
Chad Fouts: https://www.youcaring.com/chadfouts-706011 https://www.youcaring.com/chadfouts-706011?fb_action_ids=1381957868483689&fb_action_types=youcaringcom%3Ashare&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%5B1305799992795275%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22youcaringcom%3Ashare%22%5D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D
Mike Werner Family: MountainTough.org
Autumn Grushka: https://www.gofundme.com/wj-family-in-need
Natalie Morton: https://www.gofundme.com/natalie-mortons-house-fund
Compton Family: Gifts can be mailed to the Compton Family, 1402 East Parkway Suite 6, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Troxler Family: https://www.gofundme.com/great-smoky-mountains-wildfire
Claudia Lopez: https://www.gofundme.com/claudia-lopez-relief-fund
Lydia Jackson: www.gofundme.com/gatlinburg-fire-fund-for-jacksons
Tommy Bullen: https://www.gofundme.com/gatlinburgfirepottery?ssid=845229958&pos=1
Fatima Dias: Gifts can be mailed to Att: Fatima Dias; 742 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Bill May and the Arrowmont School of Arts: www.arrowmont.org
Hector Castillo and Nora Diaz: Gifts can be mailed to the Gatlinburg First United Methodist Church at 742 Parkway Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Debbie Gillespie: www.gofundme.com/blessthemartins
Pete Thompson: https://www.gofundme.com/helppetethompson
Chad, Alisa and Izzy Carroll: https://www.youcaring.com/izzyandheaven-708108