Janessa Brunet is a university of Manitoba graduate, holding a bachelor of fine arts. She is also a talented artist and an exceptional photographer. Her smile animates her face, and when she laughs she does so in earnest. And the beauty of the artist inhabits her work.
Starting from Jan. 6, some of Burnet’s photographs will be on display at The Edge Gallery on Main Street. This recent collection is called “Water Bodies,” and will be running until Feb. 2.
Everyone fumbling around Winnipeg these days is positively smitten with the tame winter gently gripping our city in its cool fingers. Considering how tenderly the current season is treating us, it is easy to forget how beautiful the summer months were. In an interview with the Manitoban, Brunet brings us back to the heat of June, July and August.
“I shot all of these photos this past summer. Since I had the luxury of having my weekends off, and since it was such a hot summer, we tried to get out to as many beaches and cabins that we could.”
The beaches, lakes and cottages that speckle Manitoba’s landscape are interesting places. As the water’s temperature steadily rises with the warmth of summertime, people begin to trickle out of the urban centres, searching for something simpler, quieter, different. Thousands of people flock to the towns, lakes and cabins.
“I feel as though I am a visitor in these places,” says Burnet. “Even though I’ve spent my whole life in Winnipeg. When I photograph people interacting with these lakes and beaches, it’s as though I’m getting a glimpse of this secret world. We pack up our cars, and drive hours to get to these almost sacred spaces.”
For a few months, people move in, a migrating species. When August starts to wind down, we fly home.
“This existence, however, is only temporary for most cabin-goers. When the weather turns cold, it ceases to exist until the next summer. Or at least, it becomes dormant like a hibernating animal.”
As you stare at her photographs, you come to realize that the ripples on the water will freeze over and that the swimsuits will be replaced with winter coats. The photographs on display capture the intimacy, the beauty and the temporary nature of the water bodies we visit every year.
Water Bodies will be on display from Jan. 6 until Feb. 2 at The Edge Gallery at 611 Main Street.
photo by janessa brunet
