For over 150 years photography has transformed how artists capture and render images of the world around us. From Ansel Adams to O. Winston Link to Henri-Cartier Bresson, the photographic image not only documents, but also reimagines reality around us. Canadian landscape photographer Scott Conarroe delivers both majestic and slightly off-kilter or disturbing images in the tradition of Canada’s acclaimed photographers Edward Burtynsky and Jeff Wall.
Conarroe’s camera delivers the magic of the natural and manufactured landscapes we encounter every day in a new show, About Trees, at Stephen Bulger Gallery in Toronto until October 26th.
Currently based in the evocative landscape of the Alps in Bern, Switzerland, the photographer joins us from, well, Japan of all places. In conversation, Conarroe explains how this homage to trees’ place of splendour in our lives derives almost by chance in his photographic journeys or “safaris” as he calls them.
The inspirational image for this show, Big Tree, Small Tree* was taken in London, ON during a working stint in the, ahem, Forest City.** If you’ve ever had to go to St. Joseph’s Hospital emergency room, you have likely seen these very trees across from the hospital’s parking garage.
Despite a very raspy, medicated voice (should I have gone to emergency to be tested for COVID’s new strain?) we have a lively discussion about Conarroe’s exploration of the landscape throughout his career. To be sure, we do that at a safe distance of more than six feet, seeing as the distance between London and Japan is… hmm, that’s 10,330 km, which in feet is like, 3280’ 10.079”, and then multiply so… 33,892,000 feet between us. Pretty sure we’re safe from transmitting anything other than some insights.
And since the Canadian godfather of AI, U of Toronto physicist Geoffrey Hinton just won the Nobel Prize, let’s see how his creation can talk about Scott Conarroe’s images. If you can’t stick around for the entire hour long conversation, here’s the “Cole’s Notes” version, er, an AI generated podcast just for you that clocks in at 9 minutes. And it’s not too shabby.
“Conarroe is creating a meditation on time and place,” the enthusiastic AI hosts pronounce. “His photos are like receipts of experience.” Nice. Also, does the female host sound like she might be… high?
Dang, it’s good. And, slightly creepy.
Vincent Cherniak has lived his entire life in a complicated relationship with a not-so-huggable Black Walnut, and is now out of work, thanks AI, in London, ON
More about Scott Conarroe and “About Trees”:
For a video walking tour of the exhibition About Trees with Scott Conarroe: Bulgergallery.co
For more on Conarroe: scottconarroe.com
