Blair Witzel
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Blair Witzel (1973 - present) is an art photographer who is best known for his formalist work with urban and industrial subjects.
[edit] Biography
Witzel was raised in Saskatoon, Canada in 1973 where he attended primary and secondary schools. He attended the local college where he eventually received a general arts degree. During this period, he was increasingly exposed to local artists and photographers who influenced his early work of representational photography. Witzel spent a couple of years living around North America until he eventually settled in Toronto, Canada at the age of 25 where he continues to live. Acquaintances he met during his early years in Toronto were particularly important because they gave him opportunities to refine his style and provided him with further exposure. He started attracting attention after his work was displayed on a national arts program and a local television station used his work as backdrops to their sets.
[edit] Work
Witzel's early years in Toronto were significant because his associations at that time helped him refine the style for which he is best known. His photographs shifted from representational works to a more formalistic body. This move was uncommon because most photographic artists were moving away from formalistic approaches towards conceptual exhibits. He felt however that images were more evocative if they observed basic rules of composition and form. Hence, he is best known for work that is strongly compositional.
The subject of his photography has remained consistent throughout his career. His greatest fondness seems to be for industrial and urban settings. He uses formalistic techniques to present often stark and impersonal environments. This lends to one of his key themes which is how human made environments reflect the natural landscape.
A notable piece of trivia about his work is that although his subject is often an urban landscape, he rarely has photographs with people. When these photographs do occur, it is often in context to their relationship with the urban landscape or interaction with urban technology such as transportation, vis-a-vis, bicycles or trains.
His work has appeared in a number of venues: British Journal of Photography; Black and White Magazine; Profotos; Culture.ca; CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation); Terminus1525; and various galleries. He was also recently nominated for best photo in the categories of Abstract, Architectural, Nature, and Photojournalism from the International Color Awards.
