Wesley Anderson, November 2012
It is with great sadness that we share with you the news of Wesley Anderson’s passing. Wesley died peacefully in his sleep on December 3, 2012. He and Sam Lam had spent five weeks on holiday in Guangzhou, China. Wesley returned home just a week before he passed away.
We at Diane Farris Gallery had the pleasure of working with the Saskatchewan born artist from 2002 – 2011. In addition to two solo shows, throughout those years Wesley’s light boxes were common fixtures in our group shows and in the back rooms.
The level of detail in Anderson’s work was so fine that terms like stolon, stipule, sepal, axil and filament come to mind. He was fascinated by every hair and pore on the stems and bodies. Images from his 2004 series were based on summer flowers and moved from bud through bloom to decomposition. Particularly striking were the shifts in point of view and the partial dissections. In several pairs of work, he followed the stunning flower heads from earlier to later stages of growth as they begin to separate and reveal the fragile structures beneath the petals.
“I want to get past the flower as a pretty object. That’s certainly been done before. Usually I photograph something that is just emerging or dead and decaying. For example, a tiny seed pod that others might overlook or ignore is a thing of fascination to me. I strip it bare and expose a beauty that most people don’t see.”
Lumiere LXXXVI – 2004
The images for Wesley’s stunning light box installations were shot on a large-format camera which was specifically hand built for him. His desire was to illuminate the minutest specimens of nature is possible with this beautiful instrument. The lens moved backwards and forwards on the end of an 8 foot bellow – much like an elephants trunk – supported by three tripods. The length was needed for the magnification of up to five times real-life scale. Long exposures of up to two minutes made it possible to shooting late at night when it was perfectly dark and still.
“Artists for centuries have used the botanical as subject matter for their artistic statement. I endeavor to display them in a unique form – illuminating and, in many cases, simplifying the specimens. I’m often thrilled to see what the large format camera sees that we as viewers so often overlook.”
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. After his retirement in 1998, he became the Assistant Director of the Artists for Kids Trust in North Vancouver. Anderson photographed both exotic and domestic plants during his travels through Europe and Southern Asia. Locally, he maintained an extensive horticultural garden with a mix of native and tropical vegetation.
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Lumiere 01 (Zuccini), 2008 -
Lumiere LXXII (allium), 2004photo transparency, aluminium light box, 24 x 22 inches -
Lumiere LXXI (allium), 2004photo transparency, aluminium light box, 24 x 22 inches -
Lumiere XLII (astrantia), 2004photo tranparency, aluminium light box, 24 x 22 inches -
Lumiere LXVI, 2004photo transparency, aluminium light box, 24 x 22 inches -
Lumiere XXVIIphoto transparency, aluminium light box, 24 x 22 inches -
Lumiere XXIIphoto transparency, aluminium light box, 24 x 22 inches -
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Lumiere LXXXVI - 2004 -
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Wesley Anderson, November 2012
Wesley Anderson will be missed by all of us who knew him.
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I am grateful to have known Wesley my entire life. Being born in Saskatoon in 1962, I was fortunate to have amazing parents, whom also had amazing friends. Wesley was one of them, so much so that to me he was and always will be known as Uncle Wes.
As a young child Wesley would often take my Mother and I to art galleries and exhibits. I was always encouraged by Uncle Wes to do art in any form. Wesley also took some amazing photographs of me in my childhood, they will be cherished forever. Back in the 60′s and 70′s…and well into the 80′s, my parents often held costume themed parties, it was always wonderful to have Wesley show up and attend them.
When I decided to get married in a less than traditional manner in the lovely island of Bali, I was honoured that Wesley attended. There my wife and I stood as King and Queen, in the backyard of a local friend of mines family home. Barefoot the sweet smell of fragrant flowers in the air, the sound of the local Gamelon band playing to us, and the children from the local village dancing traditional dances for us. It was a magical moment in time.
Wesley was a soft spoken man, I never heard him raise his voice in my entire life. He touched many of us with that gentle nature, and taught so many children that passion for art.
Sam our hearts go out to you, there are no words for how great a loss this is to you, or any of us. You and Wesley have seen the world through glasses that only a few people are able to try on. You are two of the most incredibly talented people I have ever known. In fact Sam you are a genius! You are able to do so many things it amazes me. I hope that in time, all of us are able to heal. Thank you both for being a part of our lives, teaching us about love, passion, beauty, and above all kindness towards each other.
Love Colin Meacham and Ocea Ringrose