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About

Artist Statement

I am an artist who specializes in the fine art photography landscapes, nature, and architecture. Much of my work features the contrast between the static and the ephemeral, between the monumental immovability of stone or structure and the ever-changing chaos of water and sky. In the pursuit of this contrast, the geometric principles of architecture hold as much interest for me as the rough forms of the natural world.

Where once I painted, now I take photographs. The change in medium has dramatically changed the nature and rhythm of my work. Instead of working quickly to capture a scene, now I work slowly; long exposure has superseded quick brush-strokes to create impressionistic effects. And in working slowly, I feel I am better able to take in the sounds and the smells of a place, and I can work with the changing light rather than fighting against it. In working slowly, I try to convey the sense of being at peace within a frenzied world, of being unaffected by the surrounding surging elements and of being beyond the swift passage of time.

While my medium of choice is photography, I do not seek to simply record the world before me. The negative is merely a starting point for crafting an image. I do as much as I can to create a good negative in-camera, often nowadays with optical filters. Then I work on the image in with various tools in digital post-processing to make a visually and, I hope, emotionally compelling image. As I have progressed as a photographer, so too have I come to work with increasing intensity on the post-processing of the image.

I had once thought that, if I had wanted to infuse my work with philosophy, that I would have written a book on it. Recently, though, I have realized that my work, especially from Scotland, New Orleans, Jasper, and Toronto, has actually been influenced by two separate philosophical traditions, a legacy of my studies of ancient Roman and Greek history, art, and culture: Stoicism and Platonism. Stoicism, in the sense of seeking to provide a focus for attaining peace of mind; Platonism, in the tension between the ideal and the real.

Brief Bio

I arrived at photography through a roundabout route. For a time as an undergraduate student, I studied oil painting before switching to the study of history. Over the course of later academic studies and subsequent careers as an editor and a teacher, I increasingly came to use the camera for creative expression. It was only while trying to sort out the wreckage of a PhD program that I came to teach myself more advanced photography. And down the rabbit hole I went.

Selected Exhibitions

  • “Fleck Fine Art Photography Exhibition.” May 2022. Elaine Fleck Gallery, Toronto, ON, 2022.
  • “Gallery Represented.” Group exhibition. Elaine Fleck Gallery. Toronto, ON, 2021.
  • “Three Photographers: Gary Ray Rush/Bill Hornbostel/Ben Huang.” Elaine Fleck Gallery. Toronto, ON, 2021.
  • “Gallery Artists.” Group Exhibition. Elaine Fleck Gallery. Toronto, ON, 2020.
  • “New Artwork by Gallery Artists.” Group exhibition. Elaine Fleck Gallery. Toronto, ON, 2019.
  • “Jasper“. Solo Exhibition. Elaine Fleck Gallery. Toronto, ON, 2019.
  • “Bill Hornbostel/Mark Craig/Mikael Sandblom.” Elaine Fleck Gallery. Toronto, ON, 2018.
  • “Elaine Fleck Fine Art Group Catalogue Exhibition Fall 2018.” Elaine Fleck Gallery. Toronto, ON, 2018.
  • “Elaine Fleck Fine Art Group Catalogue Exhibition Fall 2018.” Elaine Fleck Gallery. Toronto, ON, 2018.
  • “Elaine Fleck Fine Art Group Catalogue Exhibition Spring 2018.” Elaine Fleck Gallery. Toronto, ON, 2018.
  • “Scotland Rocks.” Elaine Fleck Gallery. Toronto, ON, 2018.
  • “Elaine Fleck Fine Art Group Catalogue Exhibition Winter 2017.” Elaine Fleck Gallery. Toronto, ON, 2017.
  • “Scotland Exposure.” Elaine Fleck Gallery. Toronto, ON, 2017.
  • “Elaine Fleck Fine Art Group Catalogue Exhibition Fall 2017.” Elaine Fleck Gallery. Toronto, ON. 2017.
  • “In the Air.” Solo exhibition in the Spark Photo Festival. Port Hope, ON, 2017.
  • “Inner Dialogues.” Annual Juried Art Exhibition. The Latcham Gallery. Stouffvile, ON, 2017.
  • “Winter 2016-2017 Catalogue Exhibition.” Elaine Fleck Gallery. Toronto, ON, 2017.
  • “Jacqueline Veltri ‘New Paintings,’ also featuring Lillian Sheppard and Bill Hornbostel.” Elaine Fleck Gallery. Toronto, ON, 2017.
  •  “Biannual Juried Exhibition.” Grimsby Public Art Gallery. Grimsby, ON, 2016.
  • CLIC Photo Show. Juried exhibition. Picton, ON, 2016.
  • “Architectural Studies II.” Solo exhibition in the SPARK Photo Festival, Peterborough, ON, 2016.
  • “Resonance.” Annual Juried Art Exhibition. The Latcham Gallery. Stouffville, ON, 2016.
  • “Architectural Studies.” Solo show. Clarington, ON, 2016.
  • CLIC Photo Show. Juried exhibition. Picton, ON, 2015.
  • “Architectural Studies.” Solo exhibition in the SPARK Photo Festival. Peterborough, ON, 2015.
  • “Intersections.” Group show. Colborne Art Gallery. Colborne, ON, 2015.
  • “Between a Rock and a Wet Place.” Solo exhibition in the SPARK Photo Festival.  Peterborough, ON, 2014.
  • “The Artist Project.” Juried exhibition. Toronto, ON, 2014.
  • “Vessels.”  Group show. Colborne Art Gallery. Colborne, ON, 2014.
  • CLIC Photo Show.  Juried exhibition. Picton, ON, 2013.
  • “The Lake in Winter and Other Vistas.” Solo show. Colborne Art Gallery. Colborne, ON, 2013. 
  • “The Artist Project.” Juried exhibition. Toronto, ON, 2013.
  • “Trees.”  Group show. Colborne Art Gallery. Colborne, ON, 2013.
  • “Untitled.”  Solo Show.  Campbellford, ON, 2012.
  • “The Artist Project.” Juried exhibition. Toronto, ON, 2012.
  • “Contained.”  Group Show. Colborne Art Gallery. Colborne, ON, 2012.

Awards and Grants

  • Third Place Prize, Visible World Monochrome, CLIC Photo Show, for “60 Absolute Avenue 3,” 2016.
  • Honourable Mention, Visible World Monochrome, CLIC Photo Show, for “Fisher Center 1,” 2016.
  • NuWork Award for Photographic Excellence, SPARK Photo Festival, for “ROM Crys-tal Shard,” 2015.
  • Honourable Mention, Visible World Monochrome, CLIC Photo Show, for “Toronto City Hall,” 2015.
  • Exhibition Assistance Grant, Ontario Arts Council, 2013.
  • Best Photograph, Annual Juried Art Show, Visual Arts Centre of Clarington, for “Fiery Cloud over Glacier,” 2012.
  • Third Place, Spirit of the Hills Annual Juried Photography Show and Sale, for “Town Hall in False Colour Infrared,” 2011.