Hundreds and Thousands

September 10 - October 27

The forests & groves that populate our local landscape offer a source of sustenance for three distinct artists whose work highlights our complex relationships with the environment - from inspiration to dependance to abuse. Through their singular styles & points of view we are invited to celebrate & contemplate the hundreds & thousands of trees around us.

Seth Berkowitz, a photographer from Salt Spring Island, focuses on the social landscape - the touch of the human hand on the land. His series of striking works document clearcutting in local forests. Berkowitz endeavours to create photographs that capture the dramatic simplicity of the landscape, utilizing their geometric arrangement of shapes & lines. This thoughtful approach puts into clarity the effects of the forestry industry on the land, all while creating images that are designed to engage viewers.

Alex Percy grew up in West Vancouver. His first memory of the pristine forest was through field trips to Lighthouse Park, where the forest seemed to breathe from a distant time. Percy's work aims to give expression to the individuality of trees - capturing a fleeting moment in a tree’s life. His gestural & elegant works are rendered using found sticks from the very species of tree he is illustrating, shaped into a drawing implement & dipped in black India ink. In this way the trees are contributing to their own memory. Percy finds inspiration in trees because they save our world every day.  

Jan Poynteris a nationally recognized Sunshine Coast based artist who grew up on the North Shore. With a passion for plein air painting, she finds inspiration in the landscape near & far. Her latest series of dramatic landscapes are inspired & informed by painting on location throughout British Columbia. Working in acrylic, watercolour & mixed media, Poynter’s original paintings feature bold, tonal colour & strong rendering skills. Her love of nature is evident in these energetic paintings that celebrate being immersed in trees, shorelines, mountains & fields.