Those End of Summer Blues Artist’s Statement

Most of us have events that divide our lives into the before and the after. Athletes retire, spouses die, children are born, people are diagnosed with life-threatening diseases. At these pivotal times, we often look back with longing and look forward with hope mixed with fear and uncertainty.

The exhibition End of Summer, is a collection of bittersweet images that contrast the bright colours of the before of summer with the after of fall and winter. Across Ontario, when these images were taken, the chip trucks were closing for the season, the fairgrounds were battening the hatches and the boat tour operators were moving their vessels to safer harbours. The colourful signs painted on the tourist attractions contrasted starkly with the brilliant white of the snow. The return of spring seemed a long way off…

And yet, despite the sadness of the images, there is a seed of hope. We live within the cycle of nature and know that summer will return next year, bringing with it the re-opening of the chip trucks, the amusement parks and the boat cruises. Our lives may have been changed forever, but we go on.

These photographs, presented in a magic realist style, evoke memories of trips to the cottage, amusement parks and boat cruises. They remind us that all good things come to an end and should be enjoyed to the full when the hot summer sun shines on us all.