Mary Arnold, a Canadian artist, has been a force in the world of photography for more than forty years. Her work seamlessly combines the traditional with the modern, mixing analogue and digital techniques to tell visually compelling stories. She’s particularly known for her panoramic photography, which she assembles through digital stitching, creating wide, intricate landscapes. What sets her work apart, though, is her choice of medium. Arnold prints her images on aluminium, giving them a modern, sleek feel that enhances their timeless subject matter. Throughout her career, her art has been exhibited in numerous Canadian galleries, including the Art Gallery of Vancouver in 1985, the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria in the 1990s, and the Art Gallery of Hamilton in 2004.
In 2017, Arnold created three stunning aluminium-printed photographs on Vancouver Island. These images demonstrate her technical ability and artistic vision, showing how she combines her skills with the natural beauty around her.
One of her pieces, Time Overlap, captures a unique perspective of Vancouver Island’s West Coast. This shot was taken from a helicopter that had once flown in the Vietnam War. The agile aircraft allowed for a daring maneuver—plummeting over a cliff before pulling up just above the rocks and surf. In that split second, Mary snapped a series of images that she later merged into a single panoramic photo. The result is a breathtaking depiction of the coastline, where the ocean’s energy and the cliffs’ ruggedness come together in a dramatic visual story. The tension of the moment, with its combination of fear and exhilaration, is frozen in the image, making it one of her personal favorites. It’s a powerful reflection of both the raw beauty of nature and the thrill of capturing it in an unforgettable moment.
In contrast, Mystic Forest shifts focus from the dynamic coastline to the quiet, introspective interior of Vancouver Island. The image features a forest scene that feels both familiar and strange, as Arnold has played with the patterns and placement of the trees to create a dreamlike quality. This photo montage gives the forest an otherworldly atmosphere, where the natural world seems to bend and shift in subtle ways. Viewers are invited into a place that seems familiar at first glance but gradually reveals its surreal nature, evoking a sense of wonder. The blurred line between reality and fantasy makes this forest feel like a place from a dream, somewhere the viewer could easily get lost.
The third photograph, The Secret Chapel, was taken on Gabriola Island, part of the Gulf Islands between Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia. Arnold discovered a secluded glen in the forest, which struck her as a hidden chapel, a place of quiet contemplation. She captured this moment by taking several overlapping photographs, which she later blended into a panoramic image. The final result, printed on aluminium, offers a glimpse into a space that feels intimate and sacred. The photograph invites viewers to experience the calm and serenity of the hidden glen, as if they’ve stumbled upon a secret that nature has been guarding.
A key feature of Arnold’s work is her ability to bridge modern technology with the timeless beauty of the natural world. Her use of aluminium as a printing medium gives her photographs a luminous quality, enhancing their brightness and depth. The metallic surface adds an extra layer of texture, making the images feel more tactile and durable than traditional prints. This choice of medium also amplifies the intricate details of her landscapes, from the jagged cliffs to the delicate patterns of leaves in a forest. It lends a slightly surreal quality to her work, giving viewers a fresh way to engage with the familiar scenery.
These three photographs, taken in the summer of 2017, capture the essence of Vancouver Island’s diverse landscapes. From the dramatic, rugged coastline to the quiet, mysterious forests and hidden clearings, Arnold’s work draws viewers into the heart of these environments. Her combination of analogue and digital techniques, along with her innovative use of aluminium, makes her photography stand out both visually and conceptually. Each of these pieces offers a unique perspective, yet they all share a common thread—an invitation to see nature in a new, deeper way, through a lens that reveals its unseen beauty and complexity.
