Bret Culp's photographs have been shown in solo, juried group and special event exhibitions in galleries and museums in Canada, the United States and abroad, including Leonardo Gallery in Toronto, Canada; The Tom Thomson Museum in Owen Sound, Canada; The Center for Fine Art Photography in Fort Collins, USA; and the Masters of Photography Exhibition in Curitiba, Brazil.



In addition, his work is in public and private collections, including The Center For Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, USA and The Black and White Spider Awards, London, UK.



Bret is the recipient of numerous awards and honours. He has received an International Black and White Spider award for Fine Art; a ProFoto’s Excellence in Imaging and Design award; an Agfa International Photo Contest award; and inclusion in volume one of The World's Greatest Black & White Photography.



Bret Culp was born in Dunnville, Ontario, Canada in 1970. He studied Film and Photography at Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada. He is based in Toronto and has spent extended periods of time in Germany, Ireland, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States.


Artist Statement


Roots creep over rock searching for refuge and nourishment, neglected bricks and mortar crumble under the elements and return to the earth, a mountain is slowly devoured by the sea forming a precipice – these are photographs of matter governed by time chosen to illustrate the relentless determination of nature, the beauty in impermanence, and the eternal cycle of creation out of destruction.



The medium and techniques that I work with are chosen to strengthen the sensory aspects of the photograph in order for the viewer to feel more directly connected to the world within it. I believe that the authenticity of the final image should not be based on how loyal it is to reality but how well it conveys its message.



I have a natural inclination toward black and white photography as its inherent qualities of abstraction grant it the power to intensify the emotional impact of a place while leaving space for mystery. It’s in the shadows that you find the true nature of the subject. Grain is one of the creative tools that I like to employ to further my expression, like a painter’s brushstrokes. I particularly like the additional level of atmosphere that grain can bring to a photograph when artfully used.



I primarily use medium format, as there is a nice balance between being able to push abundant grain out of the film and retaining a high level of detail. Prints are made using pigment on cold pressed archival cotton rag producing an extraordinarily rich tonal quality, excellent sharpness and archival permanence.



Style


Dramatic, clean, finely crafted, black and white and colour scenic nature landscapes and streetscapes / cityscapes / urbanscapes with themes of resilience, reclamation, and renewal. An emphasis on dramatic modern expressionist sentiments rather than a surface visual reality is a core element of Bret‘s fine art photographic style.




Technique


Bret shoots medium format and 35mm black and white and colour film.
Prints are made using either pigment on the finest archival cotton rag
paper or conventional silver-halide colour and black and white processes.
Both techniques produce superlative, museum grade prints recognized
for rich and saturated colour and/or tonal quality, sharpness, and archival
permanence.




To purchase prints please email the artist directly, or see more at www.BretCulp.com !