Andrew Greenhill: The Solitude of Winter

A photograph is an artifact of a moment as well as a metaphor. It is a symbol of something that is real as well as expressive. The metaphor in this exhibit is the feeling of solitude and peacefulness of winter landscapes. Even though the prints are literal scenes of minimalist winter landscapes, they are imbued with emotion.

These photographs were not about an era or place and could have been created in any winter environment. Most of the images were made in the Canadian prairies near Calgary and Saskatoon and in Lofoten, Norway. The imagery was created while in a contemplative state of mind, focusing on one’s feelings and sensations, as well as concentrating on leading and converging lines, geometric shapes, patterns, and negative space.

A mirrorless digital camera was used to pre-visualize the tones and structure of the composition. The viewfinder was set on viewing a monochrome image without the distraction of colors to see the tonal juxtapositions and placement of lines and shapes in each scene.