Cave Composition, 2008.  Photos by Robert Scott Michiel

New National Gallery exhibition highlights the enduring natural beauty of the Cayman Brac landscape.

This month the National Gallery will collaborate with Canadian photographer Robert Scott Michiel to present a fine art photography exhibition that captures the beauty of the Cayman Brac landscape.
The exhibition opens to the public on 13 March, with a members preview on 12 March.

The National Gallery has stated that all of the exhibited images will be for sale with part proceeds going to the Cayman Brac recovery fund.

Hailing from Alberta, Canada, Michiel had been working on Cayman Brac for several months prior to the recent devastation wrought by Hurricane Paloma. Struggling at first to visualise the landscape in print he soon came to appreciate the environment, discovering similarities to the Canadian artic in the vast open spaces and the surrounding sea.

“The incredible force of the water reminded me of the same forces that shaped the mountains not far from my home,” says the photographer.

Over several months Michiel combed the island with his camera shooting rock faces, caves, the windswept coastline and delicate plants and twisted tree roots. The resulting stark black and white images capture the uniqueness of the Brac in a way that few have seen before.

Exhibition curator Natalie Coleman says of Michiel’s work, “There is a timeless quality in this collection. The landscape captured is at once ancient and enduring. In the wake of [Hurricane] Paloma these powerful images remind us that even in the darkest moments, when the landscape is stripped bare, beauty remains.”

Selected images from the exhibition can be viewed at www.robertmichielphotography.com or www.nationalgallery.org.ky.