Introduction
This body of work illustrates the growing disconnect between urbanites and the production of commodities that sustain them. Natural resources have driven Canadian settlement and the movement of staples to market has become a part of the Canadian psyche. And yet, for all our acknowledgment of the past and the commodities that built our country, the majority of Canadians - even those who live along the major waterways - no longer attach any present-day relevance to the merchant marine.
Traveling aboard traditional Canadian-built lake freighters, I capture the twenty-four hour workdays filled variously with harsh beauty, discomfort, boredom, and the ever changing environment. These images explore the sites of old industries along the world’s largest body of fresh water - the Great Lakes - which struggle to maintain their presence in the landscape - and the ships that connect them.
I follow the travel of three major bulk commodities that touch each of our lives on a daily basis;
Wheat the bread we eat
Iron Ore the cars we drive
Gypsum the drywall defining the rooms in which we live
The bulk carriers I have traveled upon, have been, or are soon to be decommissioned, and replaced by China-built ships. As these beautiful ships - well loved by the men and women who sail them and the “boat nerds” that follow them - disappear from the landscape, so shall a large part of Canadian contemporary shipping history.
The series continues my photographic contemplation of issues common to urban dwellers in the first world. Changing values, our disappearing history, the overwhelming desire to be surrounded by beauty, and immediate gratification. The work links together all of these themes while examining issues of place, sustainability, gentrification, transportation and the commodities that daily touch our lives.
I have lived for thirty years in the shadow of a disused malting factory located along the central waterfront in Toronto. Considered an eyesore by many, I love the interplay of light and shadow on its scarred surface. A majestic retired fortress of food it is a reminder of Toronto’s industrial heritage and the catalyst for this work.
