Inspiration can sometimes be right outside one's door. That's what photographer and Wood River Valley architect James Bourret discovered on a cold winter's day walking around Hulen Meadows pond.
"I took my 9-year-old daughter for a walk on a cold, dry November day in 2008 and along the water's edge I was looking at what I thought might make interesting photographs," Bourret said. "I went back with my camera for a couple of days and the ice and water kept changing and growing."
Bourret printed the black-and-white images of the unique and mysterious ice formations, which became a portfolio of 45 images titled "Winter's Veil." The work was submitted to LensWork, an acclaimed international fine-art, black-and-white photography magazine that focuses on the creative process.
"Winter's Veil" appeared in the March-April issue of LensWork, and a second portfolio, "Motion," and an audio interview are featured on a DVD version of the magazine LensWork Extended.
"This is my first major publication, and I hope it opens some doors," Bourret said. "I love the natural world, and I am always considering what is happening to the future of the natural environment. Photographs may never preserve it, but they can inspire people to be gentle."
Bourret's abstract photographs break the boundaries of scale and space, and are a discovery of the unexpected beauty nature offers. He said the highly abstract images leave a great deal of room for endless possibilities of interpretation.
"Winter Veil" has also been accepted by PhotoBistro, an online gallery operated by the prestigious Santa Fe photography gallery Photo-Eye. Bourret will open "Winter's Veil" at Iconoclast Books in Ketchum on Friday, May 15, at 6 p.m.
Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com
"Winter’s Veil #3" by James Bourret. Black and white photography at Iconoclast Books.
