Grass Land – Christian Gomes
Grass Land – Christian Gomes
Grass Land – Christian Gomes
I like quiet, simple things. I take photographs of solitary trees, barns, prairies, and people. There is no shortage of these things in southern Alberta. The prairie landscape is an oft disregarded one, usually in favour of Alberta’s more popular mountainous views. These photographs draw specific attention to the features of southern Alberta’s landscape that make it feel quiet & simple.
The prairie landscape is solitary and still. This collection of photographs feels the same way. Solitude is a major theme throughout these images. Most of my work contains a singular subject contrasted with the grassland ecosystem. When taking photographs, I am always drawn to trees, barns, or any other feature that stands out from the flat and desolate prairie. There are sometimes people depicted in my work, but my usual focus is on quiet landscapes. Those who know southern Alberta will know and recognize some of the landscapes from these photographs. I took these images over the course of two years and across Treaty 7 territory, from the far western foothills near Crowsnest Pass, to the south-eastern reaches of the Milk River Ridge.
Film photography is my medium of choice and has enjoyed a recent resurgence among younger generations and in popular culture in the past decade. This has typically included mostly colour negative film, discarding the arguably more historically influential black and white negative film. In my work, black and white serves a neutralizing element. It removes the distraction of colour and replaces it with more simple forms and textures. Each of the following prints were made using silver gelatin darkroom printing.
Christian Gomes is a twenty-five-year-old photographer from Lethbridge, Alberta. While currently studying at the University of Alberta, Christian spent his formative years in southern Alberta. Photography was originally a pandemic-era hobby but eventually morphed into a more serious artistic practice. This is his first solo exhibit, building off two Casa group shows in 2021.
Christian draws stylistic inspiration from landscape photographers like Michael Kenna, Sebastião Salgado, and Hiroshi Sugimoto. Black & white film photography and darkroom printing is his medium of choice, preferring older analog techniques to newer, digital ones.
Date:November 10th, 2023 - January 13th, 2024
Location:Casa - Passage Gallery
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