Elan Fine Art is pleased to present an exhibition of works by the esteemed international photographer James O’Mara. O’Mara developed a career in the documentary, editorial, and commercial fields, with a diverse spectrum of high-profile clients, frequently featured in Rolling Stone, Vogue, the New York Times, GQ, Vanity Fair, and Mojo. Encounters, titled after his recently published book, features black and white photography that spans his career over the past 50 years.

The camera, which estranges the photographer, the photographed, and the audience is absent, it is rather an extension of James O’Mara and his tender presence. His works are robust, honest, unscripted shots of the people he meets, individuals with passion, love, doubt, sadness. These are encounters, gentle transparent portrayals, no stolen shots and no staged moments with desire to impress.

It is for his initial lack of photographic training, that he observed every moment in life not as a photographer, but as an artist. It is the play on light and composition, the essence of his subjects, the colour, texture, movement of elements within a frame that James O’Mara truly captures. “I try to bring things far away close to me”, as James O’Mara writes, he paints portraits of fragility, arousal, and contemplation, this is his way of painting, his language.

WHERE: Elan Fine Art: 4-258 East 1st Ave, Vancouver

WHEN: Exhibition runs through July 13th. Opening reception is Saturday, June 15th, 1 to 5pm.