Mary Arnold, a Canadian artist with a career spanning an impressive forty-five years, has navigated the intricate dance between analogue and digital photography, crafting visual stories that are both captivating and evocative.
What sets Mary Arnold apart from her contemporaries is not merely her keen eye for detail but also her audacious choice of medium. Her digital stitched panoramic photographs are a testament to her technical prowess and artistic vision. However, it’s her unique printing method that truly elevates her work. Arnold meticulously prints her photographs on aluminium, seamlessly blending the traditional with the contemporary, adding a modern flair to timeless landscapes.
One of Arnold’s projects took place in 2017 in Mission, BC. Titled “Blacktop,” this project was inspired by the roadwork being done outside her house on a hill. The freshly paved road, untouched by cars, presented a pristine canvas that captured Arnold’s imagination.
One bright morning, under the clear skies, Arnold took buckets of water and poured them one by one onto the fresh black asphalt. What unfolded was a mesmerizing interplay of light and water, oil and asphalt. The oil in the road created a barrier to the water, causing it to bead up and mix with the oil, creating intricate patterns and textures. In the perfect morning light, Arnold captured this ephemeral moment, highlighting the resistance of the water against the oil-treated surface.
This project exemplifies Arnold’s ability to find beauty in the mundane, to see beyond the surface and uncover hidden narratives waiting to be told. It’s this unique perspective, combined with her technical expertise, that makes her work so compelling.
Over the years, Mary Arnold’s work has been showcased in various galleries across Canada. From the Art Gallery of Vancouver in 1985 to the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria around 1990, and the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Ontario, in 2004.
Whether it’s her digital stitched panoramic photographs or her innovative projects like “Blacktop,” Mary Arnold’s work continues to inspire and resonate with viewers, reminding us of the transformative power of art. In a world that is constantly evolving, Mary Arnold’s landscapes and modern mediums serve as a poignant reminder of the enduring beauty that surrounds us, waiting to be discovered and appreciated.
