share:
Dense Bush Landscapes, the DBL of the title, is a series begun, in part, as a response to a visitor from our west coast referring to the prairie/parklands region as ‘Dull, Boring Landscape’; also the DBL of the title. To be fair, he was looking at the frozen expanse of Lake Winnipeg at the time but still … he was not putting much effort into it.
These are the deep dark woods I grew up with. Not in, but of.
‘But nature is a stranger yet;
And those that cite her most
Have never passed her haunted house,
Nor simplified her ghost.
To pity those that know her not
Is helped by the regret
That those who know her, know her less
The nearer her they get.’
- Emily Dickinson – ‘What mystery pervades a well’
I have provided orientation for the viewer by way of the titles.
Notes; Clicking on an image will give you the full screen view. Comment section comments may not be posted immediately but are appreciated, do not panic.
Facing east
Facing north-east
Facing north-east
Facing south-east
Facing west
Facing north-east
Facing south-west
Facing south south-west
Facing south
Facing south
Facing north-west
Facing south-west
Facing north
Facing south
Facing south
Facing north
Facing north-west
Facing south-east
Facing south-east
Facing south-east
Facing north
Facing east
Facing east
Facing north
Facing north-west
Facing north
Facing west
Facing south-west
Facing west
Facing east
Facing north-east
Facing west
Facing north
Facing north
Facing south-east
Facing south
Facing west
Facing west
15 Responses
Beautiful pics Rob! I have always loved & appreciated Manitoba’s landscape, in all seasons.
Thank you Karen
Thanks for sharing Rob.
I love your choices and that you give a poetic voice to the unseen or overlooked
I want to paint some of these
Thank you Amanda
I love the bush. There is magic at every level. On the ground. At eye-level. In the tree tops. And beyond. Thanks for this wonderful exhibit, Robert. Also, love the layout you did.
Thank you, Brian … a rich and diverse environment … and a great place to lurk when your a kid.
Terrific series.
Thank you, Robert …
I like this so much. I find it so challenging to make photographs of this kind of “disordered” nature, and create something that anyone who is looking will pause to appreciate, to understand, to enjoy. We have this “bush” here in the Mediterranean too – it is called “the Macchia”, “the Mess”, “the Stain”, and it is famous. There are sayings about it, for example, just like we have in Canada about “the bush”. “Take to the bush”, “take to the Macchia”. Bandits, poor bandits, that hide in and live in the bush, that come to the villages and prey on the people from there, that take their kidnap victims into the bush, that run and hide and keep ahead of the law. Indigenous people in Canada that knew all about that bush, and how that was part of life for them, that still know so much about that. Both of these kinds of bush are so full of information, life, culture, history, sustaining of the world. Infinite. But I look at that bush here, that Macchia, and it is very hard to think of how to make a picture from that, which makes sense to someone who wants to look at that picture, and gives justice to the dimension of the phenomenon, not just focusing on a detail, for example a “pretty” detail. Complimenti Rob, that you could do this, that you could find a solution. Really that’s wonderful. I wish I could see the exhibition of the prints on paper, which seems to have taken place! That’s so ingenious, so clever, so masterful, complimenti, Rob.
Thank you, Neal … Less banditry but just as many illicit activities in the production of alcohol and the poaching of wildlife. But, as a child, a lovely place to lurk…
Remarkable images, Rob! You must be a man of the bush if you were/are able to discern directions so precisely. (I wonder why you felt that was important to note.) With such consistent exposure in the images, I suspect that a level of darkroom wizardry was instilled.
Thank you, Hugh… I was in familiar territory and I did note the directions at the time. Unlike the western region mentioned in the forward, the bush has no prominent features. It is easy to get lost and directions are helpful. Hoping they assist the few who get lost in an image.
I have been through your DBL presentation several times now and
see new views every time. This is a fantastic portrayal. A portion of the section of land that I
grew up on in the Treherne area has strong similarities.
Thank you for making this available. What other projects are you working on? How are you doing
Leigh
.
Thank you Leigh. I am well and and just put up a more recent project, My River, as the current exhibit. Yes, I continue to work on new projects and am working on finishing a couple that were done almost 3 decades ago… Can you believe it … Hope you are well . best… rob
I have some favourites, such as ones where the light glows in the middle of dark, or there is one where a band of dark crosses the foreground, in bottom.