During the summer months, the Diane Farris Gallery continues to exhibit “Summer Shorts”, a series of mini exhibitions spotlighting an array of gallery artists. Every two weeks a new artist is featured. With the majority of the gallery showcasing a rotation of group exhibitions by our gallery artists, visitors will have the opportunity to experience as many artists as possible. Our second “Summer Short” spotlights the work of North Vancouver photographer Wesley Anderson.

In his third series of images entitled Fleur Illumine, Anderson showcases a mix of botanical specimens, both native and tropical. Anderson is well-known for his distinctive gardens where he grows intriguing specimens from around the globe. The images in the current series were photographed between January and March of this year. Tropical specimens from his greenhouse, flowers from New York’s Chelsea flower market and blossoms from his spring garden are rendered as luminous transparencies mounted in exquisite aluminum light boxes designed by the artist.

Fleur Illumine III shows a new stage in Anderson’s work by focusing on early blooms rather than the later summer and fall varieties captured in earlier work. They have been photographed with his special large-format camera that captures macro views of the small specimens. With their sprightly forms, silky petals and delicate colouring, the images reveal the miniscule delicate details of new growth.

Wesley Anderson was a secondary school art teacher and department head in the North Vancouver School District for almost 30 years. In 1992, the British Columbia Art Teachers’ Association nominated Anderson for BC Art Teacher of the Year. Since his retirement in 1998, he has been the Assistant Director of the Artists for Kids Trust in North Vancouver. Anderson has photographed both exotic and domestic plants during his travels through Europe and Southern Asia. Locally, he maintains an extensive horticultural garden with a mix of native and tropical vegetation.