This is What We Are Left With

This is What We Are Left With
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Glendon McGowan
Fourth-year photography
Photography
2019

Much of Glendon McGowan’s work focuses on spaces in transition. When he was tasked to come up with a project for his fall 2019 thesis, he wanted to create something that continued that notion. Growing up in the area near the Don River Valley in Toronto, he was interested in the relationship between natural spaces and urban landscapes.

“[I] decided to use this somewhat familiar space as a point of departure in investigating the relationship between environment, history, and human interaction within the confines of this landscape,” McGowan explained. He noticed that as the population surrounding the area grew, so did the levels of construction and garbage dumping. His photographs reflect a juxtaposition of industrialized and natural elements, both temporary and permanent.

McGowan had access to the Image Arts facilities at Ryerson as well as guidance from his professors and peers, which helped shape his final product. He wanted to continue conversations around how humans interact with natural landscapes in hopes that people can “step back and comprehend what is left in these spaces.”

Full Series Pictured Below