winter

Rural

Already into April and we are in the middle of a spring snow fall. Sidewalks and streets are now covered in a blanket of white, the chill of winter has settled back in.

I’ve been working with some footage, inverting and layering images from my last shoot in my hometown. It reminds me of all the love I have for that space, but on another level represents my complicated relationship with my rural upbringing. Hometown images that are familiar against the flat white background of winter, are now inverted and layered together to create a landscape that feels detached and disorientating.

Film

Another world

Living in Manitoba means living with winter on the prairies; cold, endless and always so beautiful. I grew up in rural Manitoba and I’ve always loved the cleansing palette of a harsh winter day. The clearer the sky the more brutal the temperatures seem to be, and I kind of love it.

I recently picked up a Dji Mini 2 drone and I took it out for a spin on a frigid winter weekend. I collected the footage and started playing with it, overlaying the images to create something that is familiar and kind of out of this world. Sometimes that’s how it feels here in Manitoba, like a cold distant planet and I’m happy to call this place my home.

(Sidenote I made my first foray into muzak, I created the music and sounds for this and I’m really happy with the results)

Photography

Cold Snap

Of late it seems my focus is on my painting and film. However, I do love the prairies in the winter. It’s as if a hush falls upon the city.

Film

I was out visiting my home town of Elkhorn, and I was inspired to shoot some footage with my mom. We trekked out to a field in -40 degree weather, and shot some fantastic footage against the late afternoon sunshine. It was damn cold, and we were frozen, but the footage looks amazing.

After the shoot, I got my mom to recite some of her favourite winter poems, and I’ll be pairing the poetry with the footage we shot together. The end result will be contemplative and beautiful, an ode to the two things that have always been a source of inspiration; Winter and my mom. Here are a couple of screenshots.