Wall space in the gallery spans two floors, including the building's foyer, four staircases and a second floor landing, in a beautiful heritage building in Fredericton's downtown. New track hanging devices and security cameras, plus a steady flow of visitors, provide a safe and highly visible area for artistic works and a wide range of media.
As a hub for creativity, the Centre's Charlotte Glencross Gallery offers an authentic presentation space supported by tenant artists, arts organizations and its reputation in the community.
Artist’s Statement
The title of this exhibition comes from a profound feeling that, after a long journey, I have indeed come home. Home is a small rectangle of land on the Nashwaak River at Durham Bridge. It has provided the inspiration and subject matter for much of my recent photography. It is remarkable to me, a native of Lancashire who came to New Brunswick by way of Ottawa and Montreal, that I should find my roots now deeply planted here.
The work on display spans a period of 30 years. It reflects, I hope, both a constancy and an evolution. The constancy is to a form of abstraction: even the landscape images are close and intimate, focusing on detail rather than panorama. The evolution is in the way of working, and may be more felt and personal than anything the viewer will detect. This evolution is in the freedom, and hence heightened joy, I feel in the process. This freedom is one that tolerates technical imperfections, in the conviction that composition matters more. This would not have been acceptable to my younger self. Everything is much easier now than it once was.
The earliest photograph in the exhibition dates back to 1978 and was taken near my home in England. Where are you now, Billy? came from a deep sadness at the loss of childhood friends and my own place in the world. At the time, I still felt like a stranger in a strange land, here in Canada, and the message of Billy for me was that I didn’t belong in England anymore either. I was between worlds.
All of my photographs from that period are imbued with a certain melancholy. My more recent work is still reflective and quiet, but less dark. I work now with a lightness of heart, indicative of the peace I find in being “home”.
Coming home has another significance. In the act of taking a photograph, I come home to myself. In this activity, I find meaning and connection with the world around me, a sense of belonging that often escapes me in other aspects of daily life. Through photography, I find a centre, a purpose. Using the camera, I express the deepest recesses of my soul; I feel fully alive. Making pictures brings me peace of mind and in that sense, it is a spiritual practice.
All but the photographs of Death Valley (35 mm) and the pinholes are done with large format cameras (4 x 5 and 8 x 10). I remain faithful to traditional chemical and silver processes, feeling that they serve my aesthetic needs perfectly. I use Ilford and Kentmere paper, both warm and cold tone. My preferred film is Ilford FP4 (EI 80) and developed in HC110. I occasionally use Tri-X (EI 320).
For information on exhibiting in the gallery, click here.