Photomanipulation nominee

As human activity alters and controls more of the earth’s surface, wildlife are forced to adapt. Some species are displaced from these areas, some live at the fringe, and others become full-time residents of what we tend to think of as “our” spaces. As their behaviour adjusts, it can seem as though these non-human neighbours of ours take on some of our patterns and characteristics, reflecting our own nature back to us. We’re also forced to re-examine what “natural habitat” now even means for many of them. As such, these images present moments of day-to-day life for several commonly-found species as seen in tableau, not unlike the dioramas in natural history museums, but updated for the reality of their new habitats.

Kevin Lanthier’s work tells stories about everyday life, through depictions of the familiar made archetypal. He builds concept-driven composite images, combining and juxtaposing photographed subjects in a photorealistic way to heighten narratives and distill meaning. His upcoming series HUMAN:NATURE explores and contrasts the lives of wildlife in human-altered spaces, while his widely exhibited award-winning series The Special examined Vancouver’s history and culture through hyper-real, nostalgic streetscapes. An addendum to this series, wherein the same process was applied to imagery he shot in Istanbul, was selected as a finalist for the Saltspring National Art Prize. His works are available at Ian Tan Gallery in Vancouver.