Monday 21 November 2016

The Mystical Landscapes of Huff Island Road



“Put your hand in mine and let us help one another observe ever more closely.”
- Claude Monet to his friend Georges Clemenceau, Prime Minister of France

Currently on display at the Art Gallery of Ontario is Mystical Landscapes: Masterpieces from Monet, Van Gogh and More (Link). It is a stunningly beautiful and contemplative collection of paintings from art galleries around the world. Brilliantly curated by Katharine Lochnan, Senior Curator of International Exhibitions at the AGO, the ninety paintings are a feast for the eye and a meditation for the soul. Two weeks ago, I spent two hours staring in awe at these masterpieces.

Each of the paintings – from Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night over the Rhone’ to Claude Monet’s ‘Water Lilies’ – is a summons to the inner journey. I look forward to seeing the exhibit again before it leaves for the Musée d’Orsay in Paris on January 29, 2017.

And the exhibit got me thinking…

In my own humble photographic journey, I have noticed that most of my images focus on the world of small, telling details and vibrant oddities. There are very few landscapes that take in the grand sweep of nature. With that in mind, I set out one warm autumn morning last week to explore the muted landscapes of November.

The images that follow were all photographed along Huff’s Island Road and adjacent Marsh Road in Prince Edward County. With the exception of one passing truck, I had the area to myself for ninety glorious minutes. Similar to my experience at the AGO, I was called to silence by the beauty of the landscape. Enjoy.


A side note: Mary Hynes interviewed the AGO’s Katharine Lochnan recently for her CBC Radio program Tapestry. It makes for wonderful listening. Here’s the link.


















2 comments:

  1. I'm drawn to this place also. Lovely, the way you record it. Larry. Did you venture down the Marsh Road? I kept thinking the road would disappear at any moment.

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  2. Thank you. Yes, I did drive along Marsh Road and shared your fears about the road! Ironically, given that I was born in Prince Edward County seven decades ago, I had never driven along these roads before. One of my goals will be to revisit at least once per season to record the evolving landscapes. No doubt Marsh Road will be flooded in the spring.

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