The Ken Segal Gallery is pleased to present images from the series Gardening the Planet by Richard Holden. This is our first solo show with Holden. This show marks our gallery's first exhibition of photography. Richard Holden is represented by the Ken Segal Gallery and has participated in solo and group shows locally and nationally. His work is represented in public collections across Canada and will be displayed on the member's wall at Platform: Centre for Photographic and Digital Arts in December 2006. Holden will also be featured in an episode of the 2007 season of LANDSCAPE AS MUSE, a nationally televised series on Bravo! TV Channel.

Gardening the Planet, a series of photographs, is part of Holden's ongoing project. The project has evolved from looking at the changing of the green space around us to seeing how the natural world has also changed.

Holden's work in Gardening the Planet is based on photos taken mostly around Winnipeg. It follows the tradition of photographers inspired by gardens and green spaces. However, the work is quite different from traditional garden photography. As Holden says, "While acknowledging this tradition, I believe the work in this exhibit departs from it in crucial ways. The "garden" I photograph is essentially unbounded even though containing bounded elements. It is ungoverned by any over-arching plan."

The work is strong, showing Holden's mastery of composition. The use of extremely long, narrow, composite images that encompass the full periphery of the horizon effectively subverts traditional notions of pictorial order. This is further emphasized by the fact that the individual elements comprising each image can be re-ordered in any of four, different, although equally legitimate, configurations.

2 of the 4 different configurations of the same 4 elements

The exhibition opens with an artist's reception from 6:30 to 8:30 pm on Thursday, November 30, 2006 and runs until December 22. Please join us at the opening to see Richard Holden's new series of photographs, Gardening the Planet, enjoy some light refreshments and meet the artist.

The Ken Segal Gallery is committed to developing and exhibiting contemporary artists. We aim to build our gallery and to show quality works and distinctive pieces from local, national and international talents.

Please contact us for more information, press-ready images, or an interview with the artist.