Jim Breukelman: Close at Hand and All Around

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Jim Breukelman, "Close at Hand and All Around," 2018

Opening reception: Friday September 7, 6-8pm

Close at Hand and All Around addresses the notion that nature extends beyond the physical presence of complex structures such as trees, shrubs, and grasses; it transforms into a dynamic mixture of explosions and wildly energetic lines. Using photography to identify environments with expressive possibilities, the ephemeral qualities of the subject matter leaves a potent, enduring, subliminal feeling of curiosity – simulating the tranquility one experiences in such natural places. Ranges of darkness, translucent shapes, crosshatching patterns and supple lines capture the energy exuded by nature, generating a visual language, as it seeks space for growth and sunlight.

“Eyes on the road ahead, fleeting, peripheral glimpses of tangled plants and trees passed by without registering in conscious thought as a future begins to focus.”  Jim Breukelman

In 1967, Jim Breukelman contributed to the development of a four-year degree program in Photography at the Emily Carr University of Art + Design which became one of the first in Canada to incorporate both traditional and cross-disciplinary practices. From 1967 to 2000, in his various roles as photography instructor, department head of photography and dean of media arts, Breukelman had a significant influence on the development of photographic art and artists in Vancouver. Breukelman’s work has been widely collected by the National Gallery of Canada and is represented by Republic Gallery, Vancouver.