For her series Unmarked Sites, Jessica Auer pursues photography like an archeologist, searching for cultural sites in Newfoundland and Labrador in an effort to reconcile its complex history. Looking to the land for signs of the past, she delves into the relationship between landscape and regional identity. The resulting narrative reveals the intricacies that relate exploration, settlement, preservation and modern tourism. This exhibition will mark the launch of the Unmarked Sites artist book by éditions Les Territoires. Inspired by the travelogue and set within the context of geological time, the artist takes the reader on a journey that travels between reality and the imaginary.

Biography:
Jessica Auer is a Montreal artist who teaches photography at Concordia University. Inspired by her intimate relationship with the outdoors, Jessica's landscape photography is concerned with the development of cultural and natural sites of recreation. Unmarked Sites is her first book. She is represented by Patrick Mikhail Gallery in Ottawa.

"My tremendous gratitude goes to Tetsuomi Anzai, Alexi Hobbs and Marie-Josée Parent, who among many others were vital to the realization of this work. The project would also not have been possible without the support of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Concordia University, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, as well as my friends and colleagues at Les Territoires. Thank you."


Image: Jessica Auer, Ancient Quarry, 2010, C-print, 152 x 76 cm