Nurturing nature

Devin Casey has one objective: to return to the basics.

After years of dabbling in the fields of home renovations and landscaping to remain financially afloat, Casey recently staged a comeback in the world of photography. This time around, the 49-year-old artist has taken a simplistic approach, shooting natural landscape and astronomical photography.

“I wanted to take a step back,” he says. “I wanted to get back to the bare basics.”

Casey’s latest collection does just that. His work is currently on display in the Texture and Light mixed media exhibition at the Unitarian Congregation Mississauga.

Inspired by the ever-changing state of nature and light, Casey says a photographic exploration of both the elements of land and space was a logical choice.

“Nature is constantly and hugely changing. It’s never the same,” he says. “But not everybody can see those changes.

“Capturing nature happens in an absolute fraction of a second, and if you get it, you get it. I wanted to share that.”

Using experimental digital, telescopic and iPhone technology, Casey has captured shots of the moon, sun and lightning storms for his latest collection, providing an exploration of texture and light in fitting with the theme of the exhibit.

While Casey identifies as trans, he is adamant that his gender identity plays little to no role in his art. “Being trans doesn’t have anything to do with taking a picture of a rock or the moon,” he says. “It has to do with what happens in my bedroom.”

Nonetheless, he says, it’s time for a shift in both straight and queer art. For the most part, Casey hopes to take a step back and explore the natural world from an objective point of view, free from gender or sexual politics.

“Images of girls and boys together are lovely, but they’re super overdone,” he says. “But nature is everywhere and it’s beautiful, and that’s what I wanted to show.”

Alongside Casey’s photography, the exhibit features fabric and found-object collages and paintings by Canadian artists Apanaki Temitayo and Ameara Mclennan.

While Casey still has a day job working with seniors, he says he revels in the simplicity of nature captured in his photos, something he hopes viewers can also appreciate.

“There’s absolute beauty in pretty much everything and people need to see it, whether it’s in a split second or whether they see it in my work.”

The deets:

Texture and Light
On display until Thurs, Aug 30
84 South Service Rd
Mississauga, Ontario
905-278-5622