In a world saturated with screens, noise, technology, and data, the time one has to pause and take in one’s surroundings or one’s country can feel quite fleeting. This can be even more daunting given the vastness of Canada and just how there’s so much to see in what seems like so little time. Fortunately, Toronto-area photographer Benjamin Gibson has depicted Canada and those inhabiting it in his exhibit entitled Canada Series 1. The exhibit, which opened on June 1 in partnership with Cadillac Fairview and Hello Art, has been extended through August 31 at Toronto’s CD TD Centre (66 Wellington St., West).
The Exhibit, which is free and open to the public, beautifully and stunningly encapsulates a three-month journey by car that Gibson and his creative partner Nik Varlamov took from Toronto west to Vancouver. The series of photos “explores Canada through the lens, looking at its people, its troubles, its beauty and its grit.”
Gibson, who grew up in Uxbridge, Ontario, says the idea was to meet and interact with local artists and musicians along the way through five of the country’s 10 provinces. Both Gibson and Varlamov visited many places for the first time, stopping to capture the people and a moment of their lives as only noted photographers like Gibson could. In addition to smaller locales, Gibson and Varlamov ventured to bigger cities such as Toronto, Saskatoon and Calgary before finally arriving in Vancouver. “My aim with this project was to show the diverse majesty, the troubles and the beauty of Canada, its communities and its people,” Gibson says.
Whether a bird’s eye view of traffic in downtown Toronto, sunlight illuminating a grain elevator near a railroad in Moosomin, Saskatchewan or meeting people from all walks of life, Canada Series 1 is an intriguing, riveting collection. “We experienced a lot,” Gibson says. “We made the journey to meet as many local artists and musicians as we could and, on the way, capture the majesty, the contrast, the beauty and struggles of Canadians.”
Gibson, who studied at Humber College, was quite adept with a camera prior to entering post-secondary education. Often learning by simply going out and learning what worked and what didn’t, whether on a set or on location, Gibson formed his own creative agency entitled Toronto Creatives in 2016. His pieces span various photographic genres from commercial photography and portraits to street photography. “When I get behind a camera I feel at home” Gibson says on his official site. “I feel like I’m trying to capture every part of the world and every experience in life before I miss it.”
The photographer also wears his heart on his sleeve, helping various organizations and groups including LGBTQ+ and homeless communities through his time and money.
Gibson, who recently returned from Portugal, is an excellent and innovative photographer and the country has greatly benefited from his work. Be sure to check his work out at Canada Series 1 at Toronto’s CF TD Centre which runs through August 31. Fine art prints are available for sale through Hello Art.
