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Gordon lived in the Lower Fraser Valley in B.C. and then he moved to Alberta in 1989. His first photographic works came to be in 1978, they emerged during a time of severe personal trial, and the art form became his salvation. After only a year of diligent effort his work began to be shown in art galleries, acquiring early acclaim. An early print of a mother duck and her young, shot through the haze of the Mt. St. Helen’s eruption, won first prize in a juried exhibit against all other forms of art.
Through the years Gordon has taught briefly as a guest at various colleges, and exhibited in many juried art shows in Alberta; such as the Junior League of Calgary, and the Prairie Sage Productions' ArtEssentials event at the Saddledome in Calgary.
From the beginning Gordon has worked out of his own color darkroom, preferring to put out the extra personal effort so that his prints meet true professional standards as well as accuracy to the original scene. He doesn't stop there though, because he also loves to build his own picture frames and cut his own mattes in the workshop. As well, he enjoys shows where he can meet the public and discuss this form of creative expression with enthusiasts.
Gordon is now totally involved in panoramic landscape photography which is what you will see at The Gallery On Main in Lacombe. Panoramic landscapes, in his view, can be defined as a print that equates what a person sees with his full peripheral vision in real life. These true-to-life landscapes can be made with a special panoramic camera, or can be pieced together from separate images. Gordon uses both methods, and though the resulting process is much more laborious than standard photography, he feels the end result is well worth it and the scenes can be quite dramatic.
Gordon loves the prairies: the wide skies with their ever-changing patterns and light, as well as, the charming grasslands, old farmsteads, and hidden coulees. He loves the west coast rainforest too, where he grew up, with it’s rich damp waterways and tangible greens. He has always resisted becoming commercial in any way, preferring to do his own work in his own way. This has made life financially difficult, but rewarding.
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