Geoffrey James

“A photograph is more than its subject. The real challenge is to make something out of nothing, which is what photography’s been doing.” – GJ

Presented within the context of Fred Herzog’s (1935-2019) exhibition Pointers, TrépanierBaer is pleased to feature several Geoffrey James photographs. Structurally clear, atmospheric without being dramatic, tonally sharp and often ironic St.Cloud, Warehouse, Bernal Heights, and Near Falconbridge, ON represent three classic Geoffrey James’ works worthy of any collection. We hope that you will brave the cold and drop by the gallery to have a look.

Geoffrey James was born in St. Asaph, Wales in 1942. He studied Modern History (BA and MA) at Wadham College Oxford. James emigrated to Canada in 1966. He lives in Montréal with his spouse the well-known curator and writer Jessica Bradley.

Geoffrey James is the author and subject of over a dozen books and monographs including his latest Canadian Photographs published by Figure 1 in 2024 with a text by the art historian and former curator of photography at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Peter Galassi. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally since the late 1970s including at the Palazzo Braschi Rome; The Americas Society, New York; The National Gallery of Canada; the Royal Institute of British Architects London; the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego; Architeckturzentrum Wien; MoMA, New York; San Francisco MOMA, and Documenta IX, Kassel to name a few.

He is a Fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the recipient of the Gershon Iskowitz Prize, and the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts. While living in Toronto he was named the city’s first photo laureate.

James is in the collections of the National Gallery of Canada; MoMA; the San Francisco Museum of Art; the Musée Carnavalet, Paris, and the Canadian Centre of Architecture to name a few.

Geoffrey James
Warehouse, Bernal Heights, San Francisco, 2011
Colour photograph, archival pigment ink on 100% rag paper
Edition 1/5
24” x 36”/ 61 x 94 cm (image)
31.5” x 43” / 80 x 109.2 cm (paper)

Geoffrey James
St. Cloud, 2012
Black and white photograph, archival ink jet print
Edition 4/5
26” x 39” / 66 x 99.1 cm (image)
35 5/16” x 48 1/8” / 89.7 cm x 122.2 cm (paper)

Geoffrey James
Near Falconbridge, ON, 2012
Colour pigment print on Baryta paper
17” x 22” / 42 x 55.7 cm – paper
13.62” x 22.5” / 34.2 x 52 cm – image