Canada | The Light on Our Land
Canada – The Light on Our Land chronicles two decades of multiple cross-country expeditions in search of quintessential imagery that reflects the spiritual essence of the Canadian landscape.
The continuing series includes over 70 color photographs from ten provinces and two territories to date, all captured using a selection of medium and large-format film cameras and Fuji Velvia transparency film.
All original photographs in the collection are printed using the increasingly rare 1963 Cibachrome color process and limited to an edition of 25.
A Stillness of Light
Stillness precedes thought and is present in all things. Even with motion, there is inaction which originates from a place of peace that is omnipresent… Ron Smid
Smid surrenders the colour medium and revisits familiar territory and places yet unseen to explore the elemental view of the landscape. With the discipline of the 8 x 10 wood field camera, he chooses his subjects with purpose, traveling great distances seeking images that epitomize primal nature as seen through the monochrome lens. The resulting images embody a meditative quality which reflects the stillness of the land within ourselves.
Ron Smid’s growing affinity with the large format image has taken a compelling direction in this historic project. Travelling to Nootka Island, territory of the Mowachaht people, he met Sanford Williams, a master carver. Together, they collaborated to produce a traditional cedar bentwood box that would be transformed into an ultra large format pinhole camera.
This beautifully carved object depicting the history of European contact would be used by Smid to express images of their land.
The body of work is called the Spirit of Yuquot.
These first images were photographed through the Yuquot bentwood box camera on 16 x 20 inch black and white film and are available as contact prints in an edition of 15.
