Gerald is a tribal member of the Snuneymuxw (Coast Salish Nation) of Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, BC Canada. Born in Campbell River and raised at Nanoose Bay, Vancouver Island. Gerald grew up with the beaches, forests and creeks as his playground, today Gerald lives on Little Mountain overlooking the Salish Sea.
He was raised by a very artistic and talented mother who specialized in oil painting of contemporary coastal scenery. She would often hold art classes within the family home and as a child Gerald was being introduced to the composition, structure and techniques in most mediums.
Life obligations made focusing on his passion impossible but over time he became a self-studied photographer and was inspired by the works and writings of Freeman Patterson and Ansel Adams.
It is through his unique composition and style of photographic art that Gerald brings new life and excitement to the sometimes-over-looked artistry, mythology and ancestral connections that surrounds us in the Pacific Northwest.
In his early years Gerald worked exclusively with Kodachrome 64 and when the age of digital photography arrived, he dropped his old gear and invested in a 35mm digital camera and various lenses; this changed everything.
Apart from his photographic art Gerald indulges in illustrated artwork and is experimenting with combining both forms of media in digital form. Gerald is currently working on completing an Indigenous Community Entrepreneurship program though the Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria. This opportunity will provide a foundation from which he can promote his art universally.
Gerald’s ultimate plan is to travel all areas of the Pacific Northwest from Washington State though British Columbia to Alaska documenting and photographing each pole but also researching the back stories of the carvers and the vision that inspired them.
Whether poles are on public lands or reservation, they have a relatively short life expectancy and will eventually be laid down though Ceremony. In some respects, this art form is continually being reborn, or recreated by new artists or family members of the original carver.
His plan is to create a book or books to document his photographs and stories.
Gerald’s unique photography has been collected by business owners, private collectors, and admirers all over the world.
