In partnership with the Ontario Arts Council, Red Lake artist Jennifer Globush wanted to create an ongoing visual documentation of life in the North, recognizing the unknown hard labour posts it demands and the people that make the wild northern environment truly unique.
Fire Line is a series examining the men and women dedicating their lives to fighting forest fires within the vast boreal regions of Northern Ontario. An often dangerous and unseen occupation, the renderings are an attempt to recognize the labor and sacrifice of those keeping the forests, wildlife and dispersed residents safe from disaster. In these portraits, the subjects are no longer concealed within the trees but instead are revealed to be the faces of our front line, the silent rangers of our security.
At first glance, the pieces look like simple black and white photographs… but they are actually hand-drawn using charcoal! An element our fire rangers are all too familiar with!
Globush expands on the creative process, “I work in a draftsman style grid formation so no details are lost. Although the drawings take anywhere from 50 to 100 hours to complete, the real task is being able to capture a true representation of that person, in both photographing the subject and executing the drawing.”
With wildfires taking centre stage in the Boreal forests of Northwestern Ontario in the last few years and climate change only increasing its severity, focusing on the MNR Fire Rangers just made sense, says Globush.
“MNR Fire Rangers work year-round protecting our forests and our communities but are often only considered or appreciated when communities are threatened with evacuation. When our fires are out, most of them travel around the world to other fires helping other communities. There’s much going on behind the scenes that needs to be acknowledged and I am honoured to have these men and women as our wild caretakers.”
Fire Line may be completed, but more projects are coming in 2022! Globush is excited to highlight more characters and careers that help make the North so great.
Cabin Fever, Company and Hnútar are next on the list:
- Cabin Fever is an ongoing portrait drawing series that examines the character and grit that shapes the dispersed individuals who choose to live and work in remote areas of Northern Canada.
- Company is a portrait drawing series that showcases the men and women working as Volunteer Fire Fighters and Emergency Responders in Northwestern Ontario. Recognizing and highlighting the sacrifice and labour they contribute to a growing remote community.
- Hnútar is a large drawing series of gathered commercial fishing nets examining economic and environmental issues regarding the fishing industry in waters between Northern Canada and Iceland.
For more of Jennifer Globush and her amazing work, click here!
