Bilateral Symmetry Sample Picture

Kim Solar Biography

“Seeing and appreciating art is an artistic act 

and artistic acts are the work of artists: 

by enjoying art you become an artist 

whether you produce it or not.”

                                                -KS

BIO

Born in Alberta, Canada in 1954 Mr. Solar received a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Sculpture Major) from the University of Calgary in 1980. In 1984 he received a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of British Columbia and has worked in the building design industry ever since. Not to seem overly academic or formal, in 1982 Mr. Solar had blue hair and played bass in a band called The Sandwiches, penning such unforgettable tunes as ‘The Solipsist’ and ‘Hey-yah Ayatollah’. You may have heard the album.

STATEMENT

In 2007 I undertook an unusual task: to subdivide into recreational properties an 80-acre homestead in a relatively remote valley in the interior of British Columbia, Canada. In the course of that work I spent the summer, fall, and most of the winter on the property ... walking, assessing, and enjoying the exquisite natural beauty of the place. For those 10 months I lived in a log cabin handmade by the original pioneers (Ed & Sara). Although rustic this life was not primitive: hot water, baseboard heating, flush toilet, all the electrical conveniences including a 220V clothes dryer ... very comfortable indeed. I was equipped with my computer and CAD software as well as sundry scanners, printers and a drafting table ... but I did not have internet or cellphone signal as the valley was too remote and steep.

And so instead of spending each evening’s leisure hours surfing the net or emailing or watching television, I had some time on my hands: a rare condition in the modern world. Inspired by the natural beauty I was seeing each day on my rounds, I began to take photographs that were not just ‘resource documentation’ but photos of morning mists, hidden glades, and mountain streams. Rocks, leaves, moss, twigs, vistas, panoramas ... once I began there was no shortage of subjects. In the evenings, next to a crackling fireplace (yes, each and every night a real fire) I began to experiment with these photos. And then I stumbled on the technique that has captivated me ever since: simple bilateral symmetry.

Immediately upon the first example I experienced an epiphany ... this was fascinating to me. And so I made another, and another.  I began to take photo expeditions into nearby landscapes to capture different subject matter ... and still each new ‘flip’ brought fresh excitement. Over the course of the next 10 years I have kept exploring this technique. On occasion showing the work to close friends, I would hear encouraging and supportive comment. For a decade I have given prints as gifts within my private circle ... about 100 people have seen this work.

In 2017 a second unexpected event occurred: an apartment building in Baltimore became ready for occupancy ... and an opening ceremony was held in the extended lobby of that building. This extended lobby is an art exhibition space named the Hancock Solar Gallery after my sister Patricia and my brother-in-law Paul. And there it was: I have been making ‘art’ for years and suddenly my sister has an art gallery. This cannot be mere coincidence.

And so I put before you my private interests and passions. Hopefully you enjoy seeing it as much as I enjoy making it. I am not a professional artist and there is a certain vulnerability in doing this ... the chance of ridicule and dismissal loom on the other side of the teeter totter of positive and enthusiastic reception making this escapade both exciting and apprehensive. On with the show! I truly hope you like it.

   

Art Opening: Exercises in Bilateral Symmetry