Photographer Morgan Earl is set to debut a dramatic new series of large format images exploring his fascination with the qualities of water.  

The show, titled Liquid Mirrors, will open at the Chapel Gallery in Bracebridge running from March 4 to 20.  

The Port Sydney-based artist took his trusty 200mm Nikon lens and travelled across Muskoka and Europe in pursuit of images in liquid form. His subjects range widely depending on what water he discovers – an urban canal, a vast lagoon or a puddle in an ancient market square. From rushing waterfalls to colourful reflections, Earl displays an unrestrained application of vibrant colours that he has extruded from the original image in search of a subtext of emotion.  “My goal is to achieve abstraction and realism within a single image,” he said.

So what is so special about water to Earl? “It’s liquid, it undergoes colour changes, it falls, drops, it shines, it glistens, it reflects, it splashes, it can be both still and fast moving,” explained Earl. “Above all it is a fascinating artist’s medium with endless permutations.”

Earl’s work has always been driven by an impressionist approach to imagery. Unafraid to cross artistic boundaries, it is no surprise to find Earl embracing the fully abstract. It has always been a subtheme in his earlier work and now it is the driving force that propels him to break the virtual bonds of realism yet still contains a story where viewers can add their own interpretation.

“Liquid Mirrors remains true to my water-based imagery,” said Earl. “It still includes the rivers, lakes and oceans but I’m expanding into a myriad of water-slicked surfaces. In fact just about any reflective surface gets me excited these days.”

“I’m really looking forward to the Chapel Gallery show. It will give me an opportunity to judge the reaction to a creative departure that I have slowly been exploring. The show represents 21 images from about 50 which form what I would call a transitional stage in the development of my long term oeuvre. It has been a real challenge getting to this stage in my life; expanding the capacity of the technology to reach further than other artists who have similar processes. The joy was in the discovery of self and the creative breakthroughs.”

For the show, Earl found diverse locations such as a rain-soaked Piazza Republica in Florence to the wet-scrubbed Marche Forville in Cannes. His 21 original images include shots from the edge of a Venetian canal, the quaint fishing villages of Sanary-sur-Mer, in the south of France, the sophisticated St Tropez or the harbour of Toronto.

“I’ve had some great adventures in the pursuit of my art,” said Earl. “In Florence I arrived at a square at 6 a.m. to await the sunrise on the buildings when some workmen came along in a Zamboni-like vehicle that washed the old tile surfaces. I followed them and started shooting the wet surface. When they stopped for a coffee, I showed them the results. Every morning thereafter they took my directions to where I wanted them to wash. I felt like Michelangelo with his assistants.”

Despite his world travels searching for abstract images, the rivers of Muskoka during the spring melt will always call to Earl. “They always have the power to deliver fascinating and abstract moving colours,” he added.

Liquid Mirrors runs from March 3 to 20. An artist’s reception will be held on March 6 from 1pm to 4 p.m.

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Located at 15 King Street in Bracebridge, the gallery is open year-round, Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm. It is closed during the last week of September and the second week of October as well as between Christmas and New Year’s Days. Please check the Calendar of Events for the actual dates. For a map, please follow this link.

Exhibitions are booked one year in advance.  To learn how to apply for a show, please follow this link: Exhibition Application.

The Chapel Gallery was opened in September, 1989. Housed in a reconstruction of the first Presbyterian Church in Bracebridge, the Chapel Gallery hosts exhibitions of art and craft by our members and other local and provincial artists. Exhibitions are selected by the Gallery Committee and change every three to four weeks.