In his exhibition, In Place, Gerard McNeil explores issues of location and permanence through a series that combines abstract photographs and linocut memory maps of familiar places. These diptychs and triptychs contain hand drawn memory maps of the places and spaces of McNeil’s youth, hand drawn linocut maps, and abstracted digital photographs representing the transformation of what was a primarily a working class neighborhood due to commercial development. In Place is in the Corridor May 3 – 30.

Of his work, McNeil states:
The medium of photography is, more often than not, a medium of the found image. There is also a long history of manipulating and transforming photographic images. I find myself straddling the fence between these two practices as the photographs and photo-based works I create are derived through a kind of dialogue between the found and the constructed.  As my primary subject matter is the urban landscape, these landscapes hide and reveal themselves. Some of these images will stand on their own, while other images will be transformed, either digitally or physically into the constructed images. How I determine which photographs will be manipulated and which photographs will remain unchanged is very much an intuitive thing.

Gerard McNeil is a visual artist and community educator, who is also a lifelong resident of Halifax. McNeil has been engaged in an art practice for more than thirty years. This practice has been both informed and interrupted by his formal studies. These formal studies include a Certificate in Photography from the Halifax Regional Vocational School (NSCC), BFA from NSCAD, B.Ed – Visual Arts Specialist degree from NSCAD/ MSVU and an M.Ed in Adult Education from MSVU. McNeil works primarily in the medium of photography, but also utilizes printmaking and drawing in his practice. McNeil’s photography and photo-based works has been exhibited locally, regionally and nationally. His sketchbook submission, Fear of Creativity, was recently included in the 2017 Brooklyn Art Library / Sketchbook Project book Hope Fear.

Located inside the Visual Arts Nova Scotia office at the Halifax Seaport since 2000, the Corridor Gallery is complimented by a historical legacy of Nova Scotia culture, simple yet modern architectural elements and an array of current cultural activity in the Cultural Federations of Nova Scotia office. The Corridor Gallery is located at 1113 Marginal Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia and is open Monday through Friday, 9:30am – 5pm.

Visual Arts Nova Scotia advances the visual arts through leadership, education, and communication.

High resolution image for press available via Dropbox.

For more of Gerard McNeil’s work please visit:
VANS e-studio: https://www.visualarts.ns.ca/artist-pages/gerard-mcneil/
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mixshift/

For further information regarding the exhibition please contact:
Carri MacKay
Programming Coordinator
902.423.4694 | 1.866.225.8267 | f: 902.422.0881
vans@visualarts.ns.ca | www.visualarts.ns.ca