Fine Art nominee

A series of parallel lines float and blend with each other, creating confusion between what a photograph is thought to be and what a photograph can become. Cruz makes use of the colour in his landscapes and strips the rest, favouring abstract expressionism. The photographic images are created outdoors by panning the camera and then rotating them. Often wanting to show the range of his medium, the photographic print, he reveals the way a photograph can be birthed from, but not tied down to its original source. His aim is to draw attention to how a photograph, whether abstract or representational, has the possibility of going beyond reality.

Jeff Cruz is an emerging Calgary-based artist, whose work has been exhibited in various Canadian cities and published in magazines in North America as well as Europe. In 2012 Cruz's work was selected for the cover of PhotoSolution magazine. He is the recipient of various awards including an Artist Opportunity Grant from the Calgary Arts Development in 2015. Cruz has previously held an Editor of Photography position for publications such as Mabuhay News and WAX Magazine. His work has been the subject of radio broadcasts and television documentaries. Cruz's project, 100 Years 100 Faces of the Stampede included photographing over 100 strangers during the Calgary Stampede Centennial. An article about the work was published in PhotoLife Magazine.