La Cloche Spirit: The Equivalent Light

‘La Cloche Spirit: The Equivalent Light’, an exhibit by La Cloche photographer Jon Butler, www.jonbutlerphoto.com, will be open at the Gore Bay Museum June 10 to August 6.

‘La Cloche Spirit’ is a photographic exhibition that explores the light of dawn and how it evokes an inspirational space and translates the timeless beauty of nature. An “equivalent” photograph functions as a work of art because it both communicates subject matter and suggests mental states.

Jon Butler is a Zen practitioner and retired newspaper executive who changed his clothes to enjoy the passing seasons of life. He concentrates on solitary, contemplative landscapes and atmospheric effects with his photographs. All are the natural light of La Cloche with no filters or digital enhancement. They reflect over 30 years of meditation on the subject matter and draw viewers into the light of La Cloche.

The La Cloche area, www.lacloche.ca, with its quartzite mountains, crystal clear lakes, windswept pines and abundant wildlife, is located in Northern Ontario on the north shore of Georgian Bay with Killarney Park in the east and the town of Spanish in the west. Butler lives in Willisville located in the heart of La Cloche. This area was recently saved from the possibility of any future mining as a quarry. In 2011, the mining company Vale liberally surrendered the license for this property so it may be enjoyed for generations to come. Butler was instrumental in saving the Mountain and establishing the La Cloche Mountains Preservation Society.

In 2012, Butler’s exhibit ‘La Cloche Spirit: The Equivalent Light’ will be at The Gore Bay Museum Heritage Centre from June 10 to August 6. In May the exhibit was in Toronto as part of CONTACT 2012, the largest photography event in the world. The exhibit was funded in part by the Ontario Arts Council and Vale.