Tag Photography

ARTIST STATEMENT

“A BEAUTIFUL UNITY” highlights the relationship of two different plants coming together in an exquisite, profound way.

Those plants took root on a simple core neighbourhood fence over the course of the summer and fall of 2016 in Pleasant Hill, right beside St. Mary’s Elementary School. Due to a combination of flash freezing along with a host of other environmental factors, these seedheads managed to remain intact despite being in a open field, all throughout the winter season.

This series, “A Beautiful Unity”, was a serendipitous occurrence I noticed after I had took a pause from a chaotic lifestyle to appreciate the beauty of nature that often gets overlooked. As I approached this overcrowded fence of seedheads during the beginning of the winter season, I was amazed by how those two delicate plants formed a relationship to support each other despite the complications those plants faced. In a way, I saw these plants as a symbol of love and courage. And in a way, these plants can relate to us in life.

My purpose for this series was to photograph the complex and the simple, and portray the beauty of love and courage these plants have for each other. In our world today, life is not meant to be straightforward. That overcrowded fence was a beautiful mess but as we get closer, we can learn that life can be simple as long as there is someone or something alongside us to bear it.

BIO

Natasha Yokoyama-Ramsay is a freelance photographer currently based in Saskatoon. She graduated with a degree in photography and design from Alberta College of Art + Design and has participated in several group shows in Calgary, Alberta. Natasha’s main interest in photography is portraits, where she seeks raw qualities and reveals the honest and vulnerable characteristics in her subjects.

JOSHUA BRAND – LE MONDE FRANCOPHONE
étudiant en philosophie et de la langue française / student in philosophy and french

Le monde francophone est ma première exposition photographique achevée. L’exposition est appropriée car la langue française et la culture francophone sont parmi mes fascinations. Bien que le français soit parlé de par le monde, contrairement à l’anglais, il est improbable de pouvoir aller partout au monde et de pouvoir y entendre les phrases les plus simples en français. Par contre, le français peut être découvert au sein de petites «poches» dans toutes les régions du monde. Cette collection de mes voyages se présente dans trois «poches» francophones: le Québec, le Maroc, et bien sûr, la France. J’essaie d’illustrer les différences entre ces pays tout en les liant par leur langue commune. La plupart des photos incluent des gens qui sont à mi-mouvement. Cela donne le sentiment d’être présent dans les photos, elles n’ont ainsi pas l’air d’être fixes ou situées dans le passé. Chaque photo est développée exclusivement en série de cinq tirages.

J’espère que vous les apprécierez.

Le monde francophone is my first complete photographic collection. It seems appropriate as the french language and culture has become one of my greatest fascinations. While french is one of the most spoken languages around the world, one cannot expect to hear it in the majority of countries.  However, it can be found in little “pockets” across every region.  This collection of my travels occurs in three of those “pockets”: Québec, Morocco, and of course, France.  I attempt to demonstrate the differences of these countries while linking them with their common spoken language.  It as well, for the most part of the collection, includes persons mid-action of their motions which gives the sense of viewing and being in that exact moment rather than solely viewing a static image. Each photo is exclusively developed in a series of five.

Enjoy.