For a quarter century each, two artists have been approaching rocks in very different ways.
Just in time for this weekend's Squamish Mountain Festival, Rich Wheater showcases his photographic explorations of climbing portraits and fresh landscapes in black and white or colour from vantage points that make it obvious that you need to be a climber first and then a climbing photographer.
"It's pretty much impossible to shoot climbing well and have access to great subjects and great locations unless you are embedded in the climbing community and can physically gain those locations," he says of his action sports genre.
Wheater says his work has massively evolved since he first got serious about photography in the early '90s, primarily in the sense that along with rock climbing, he also shoots trail and road running as well as mountain and road biking, the main sports that he typically enjoys. With those subjects he tries to follow the same approach by trying to bring human drama with action into each picture. And he is successful because each of Wheater's "action" photographs has a convincing sense of atmosphere, which seems to be provoked and reinforced by the location and surroundings.
"Often these are places that no other humans would ever see or have reason to seek out. It's these perspectives that I try to convey in climbing photos. If I'm inspired by the natural landscape, and there happens to be awesome climbing there too, then I'm super motivated to go and shoot lots of images there," says Wheater, who has spent years researching the play of light on location, frequenting back-corner crags and gullies, and searching out geological formations and textures that will create interesting graphics.
Of his broad inspirations, Wheater says, "I appreciate all kinds of art that feature wide, multi-faceted landscapes (including music) within a single piece. I enjoy visual art that shows multiple dimensions within the same single piece. In rock climbing photography, this means that I try to portray not only good climbing action and drama but also give the cliff an overall environment equal billing with regard to textures and light."
Wheater sees his photography as a lifelong project along with other passions such as music, dogs, unique micro beers, and fine coffees. He recently released his first book - Vancouver Trail Running, a guidebook to muddy running circuits around Vancouver's mountains.
Wheater's exhibit "Portrait of a Climbing Landscape" is on display until Aug. 6 at the Library Foyer Gallery. For more info visit www.richwheater.com or phone (778) 773-2399.
In the cases until Aug. 6, Patrick West presents his "substantial" exhibit of abstract rocks entitled "Abstractions" - hefty but theoretical hunks of stone transformed into seemingly effortless flowing masses; sculptures that appear to defy gravity or connectivity. The compilation of Brazilian soapstone depicts emerging forms, and with closer observation, exposes more within each piece: subtle veins, random speckles, and soft variances of colour from warm taupes to chalky greys, all of which appear to be placed exactly where they should be within the shape of the figure or figures, either human, animal or other.
West says, "My aim with each sculpture is to find balance in myself and to uncover simple exquisite pieces of work. So my broad hope is to amass a body of work that is inspiring and beautiful, while evolving myself."
West admits he tries not to intellectualize art or think about it too much, which characterizes him as an intuitive artist where the journey, an enlightened development, is of primary importance.
"I begin each piece by hammering on a stone with a mallet and chisel. I try to observe both the emerging shape in the stone and my own thinking process.
"As I continue for a few hours, my thoughts merge more and more with the piece and eventually a shape evolves that is pleasing to me. Then comes the process of refining the piece until I feel it is complete with the ongoing challenge of knowing when to stop," says West, who hopes his exploration will lead to a place of greater balance both within each sculpture and in himself.
West is also passionate about sports, furniture design, architecture and now family (with two young children). He has resisted becoming a slave to technology but recently entered the digital world. "I feel like an evolution is occurring?" (Sent from his iPhone!)
For more about West's work, email [email protected]
