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'Artichoke 1'
Axel Breutigam
'Leaf Lips 27'
JanaLee Cherneski
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The vegetation around us is often overlooked & taken for granted, consumed or disposed of. Lens based artists Axel Breutigam & JanaLee Cherneski offer us new ways of looking at plants, fruits & vegetables through dynamic image making; to appreciate their own rich existences & our interconnectedness.
Axel Breutigam is a Vancouver based photographer who’s distinct & technically sophisticated work focuses mainly on architecture, landscapes & florals. In his More Than Edible series, Breutigam reimagines humble vegetables & fruits in ways that go beyond their conventional identities. By focusing on the easily overlooked, he seeks to draw attention to both the vitality & transience of organic forms, transforming botanical subjects into abstract landscapes of texture, light & movement. Through intentional motion blur & dramatic lighting, Breutigam seek to convey a sense of fluidity & ephemerality that reflects the fleeting nature of life itself. The organic details - veins, petals & stems - become painterly strokes, as if the essence of the subject is dissolving in the light. These images challenge the viewer to rethink their perception of everyday natural objects, elevating them from the mundane to the extraordinary.
JanaLee Cherneski is a West Vancouver teacher & community activator exploring her creative passions through photography. Her Scared Decay series is inspired by a recent summer & fall spent immersed in the life of a lake. Every day Cherneski dove in with her underwater camera, discovering an entirely new realm of life beneath the surface. The plants in the lake – often seen by neighbours as a nuisance to be weeded away – became a source of fascination. Documenting their lifecycles through reflections, sunlight, motion & bubbles that changed the colour & quality of the water; illuminating & disrupting the images. The only constant was the leaves of the plants becoming ever more skeletal at the promise of fall. Swimming through the shifting seasons, Cherneski cultivated her photographic practice like a prayer – each day diving down to document the leaves of life below, joyous in their slow decay.
Artists Talk Livestream
Wed. Apr. 16, 7 pm
Join us for an engaging conversation with the artists as they share insights into their inspirations, processes, take a tour of the exhibition & answer questions from viewers live.
Plan your visit to the Kay Meek Arts Centre. The exhibition spans the PARK Retirement Living Atrium & lobby to the McEwan Theatre lobby downstairs.
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