By Anne Ewen, Curator of Art & Heritage
Philip Kanwischer, Unity, 2014, archival pigment print, 20” x 20”, collection of the artist
Part of Exposure, Alberta's Photography Festival, the exhibition Philip Kanwischer - Inhospitably Ours is now open in the Whyte Museum's Main Gallery. The exhibition will run until April 7, 2019.
Philip Kanwischer’s photomontages consider nuances of conservation and preservation while examining the ethical flux of human interaction with the wild. His photographs thrive under the assumptions formed by the cursory glance, creating visually implausible scenarios in nature. Fundamental questions are foregrounded about the morality of animals, environmental principles and habitat loss. Kanwischer’s images dramatize human’s relationship with wildlife while at the same time challenge our expectations and perspectives on wildlife photography as a medium.
Philip Kanwischer, Clutch, 2017, Archival Pigment Print, 40" x 40". On Loan from Constantinos Costoulas.
Kanwischer spends days in the wild, seeking out remote locations in Canada and abroad to enact respectful documentation and observation of animal encounters. Patience, stillness and acute awareness are key to his process gathering visual material for his surreal compositions. Kanwischer believes that art cannot be rushed, just as nature cannot be rushed or controlled.
Philip Kanwischer graduated from the Alberta College of Art and Design with a Bachelor of Design degree and distinction in photography in 2015. He is currently working on his master’s degree in the Fine Arts program at NSCAD University, Halifax.
On February 3, during the Whyte Museum's Featured Photographer's Tour, Philip Kanwisher provided insight into the purpose and meaning of his photographic images.
Philip Kanwisher, Reticent, 2017, archival pigment print, collection of the artist.
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