Anthrop O Naturel
Forester by day and photographer by night, the combination of art and science transformed my view of the natural world. Documenting it professionally and with my lens over the past decade (see "The Mandate" exhibit) allowed me to connect and discern the details and patterns of Mother Earth, how they change throughout the day, the seasons, and over the years. I could see, on the ground, how humans are an integral part of the larger ecological community, neither superior nor dominant (Aldo Leopold, 1949). This ecocentric view, centered on the environment, drastically contrasted against the more common human-centered, anthropocentric, view, which places humans on a dominating pedestal and considers "animals" and "plants" as things to own. My perception changed when I began to notice human behaviors in animals and animal behaviors in myself and others around me. The environment had become the like of a culturally diverse human neighborhood, and those resembled large-scale ant colonies. It is from this world turned upside down that the Anthrop O Naturel exhibit was born (A.K.A. humans in their natural form).
To remind us of our place as equals in the global ecosystem, I tell the story of our world as a forester and artist perceives it: a community of individuals (flora and fauna) with minds of their own, an emotional capacity, belonging to different cultures (species), and speaking different languages. It is introduced with the piece "Individuality" to demonstrate the underestimated individuality in nature by highlighting the difference in fascial traits of 20 different flowers of the same species (Prairie Lily). The "Blooming Personalities" (flora) and "Wild Portraiture" (fauna) series present the characters and their human-like traits using anthropomorphism. The "Motionism" series brings the characters to life. I explore movement by portraying typically human behaviors in animals using installations mounted in a manner analogous to filmstrip. Finally, "Scenic Explorations" series sets the theatrical environment in which these characters interact. With breathtaking landscape panoramas, large-scale images, and installations, it sets the mood, describes ecosystem processes clashing with the characters, and give a feel for what life might be like in the wild.
Scenic Explorations Series
The natural world often seems foreign and hidden behind a curtain of leaves… an underground only available to a select few bound by secrecy. But it wasn’t always so – humans once depended on this membership. This series brings us back to this time, setting the stage on which the characters live, play, and interact using panoramas, large size images, and installations. It captures the beautifully harsh conditions in which they live, and the characteristics they must develop to survive. Mother Earth can throw anything at you: wildfires, floods, wind storms, and earthquakes… but is that a reason to give up? You need mental strength, perseverance, flexibility and an adaptable nature; future generations and the whole species depend on your ability to see it through and thrive.
"When Evening Calls"
Limited Edition (5), Installation of 4 images 9x16"
As daylight fades, the starry lights illuminate the stage and urge the night crawlers to come out of their hiding hole. The nocturnal show begins. Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan, Canada (2021).
Framed: $600.00, Print: $350.00
"When Evening Calls", Installation of 4 frames, 9x16" (panoramic) / Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan, Canada (2021)
"When Evening Calls", Installation of 4 frames, 9x16" (panoramic) / The Eye Gallery, Nov-Dec 2021
"Lifting the Curtain"
Limited Edition (5), 20x55", Giclée
Wilderness is often shrouded with an air of mystery. Without seeing what lies behind the leafy curtains, the unknown remains... until it is lifted, and nature's true form is revealed. Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan, Canada (2021).
Framed: $850.00, Print: $540.00
"Flighty Episode"
Limited Edition (5), 10x20", Giclée
Just as nature can seem unchangeable, it can also be fickle, unpredictable, and capricious. Always moving, though sometimes imperceptibly, disturbance and change are a fact of life. Snow geese (Chen caerulescens), Birch Hills, Saskatchewan, Canada (2021).
Framed: $415.00, Print: $227.50
"Flighty Episode", 10x20" / Birch Hills, Saskatchewan, Canada (2021)
"Flighty Episode", 10x20" / The Eye Gallery, Nov-Dec 2021
"An Air of Immutable Tenacity"
Limited Edition (5), 10x20", Giclée
The landscape may seem lonely and lifeless, but fire is cleansing and time heals. Renewal is survival, and survival requires adaptability and mental strength for the greater good of the species. Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), Nemeiben Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada (2021).
Framed: $415.00, Print: $227.50
"An Air of Immutable Tenacity", 10x20" / Nemeiben Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada (2021)
"An Air of Immutable Tenacity", 10x20" / The Eye Gallery, Nov-Dec 2021
"Resilience on Canvas"
Limited Edition (5), 20x55", Giclée
Scorched from a wildfire, the details of the landscape under the trees are revealed. All life needs is a nook or a crack and a few drops of soil and moisture. Survival might be difficult, but life goes on. Nemeiben Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada (2021).
Framed: $850.00, Print: $540.00
"Resilience on Canvas", 20x55" / Nemeiben Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada (2021)
