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Alan Mirabelli
WHAT  Photographer

WHERE  Appleton home studio by appointment, 257-7516

SHOWS  Through March 31 at Market Square Bistro,
                   70 Brea St., Almonte, 256-4452

WHY  "Photography reconnects me to a greater power - it restored my spirituality."

 

Images of Alan's work


Alan Mirabelli - Seeing With New Eyes
By Sally Hansen

What's the silver lining in a mid-life crisis accompanied by a deepening depression? For Alan Mirabelli, it was the launch of a journey of self discovery that culminated in an enduring passion for photography.

"Thank God I had an understanding Board. In 1998 I asked for a year-long sabbatical and they gave it to me!" Alan dusted off his cameras, got in his truck and headed west across Canada with no specific destination in mind. When he ran out of road in Victoria, B.C., a chance meeting at a friend's dinner party connected him with a photography instructor, Adele Curtis, who was the catalyst for his year of personal exploration.

There's More to Seeing than Meets the Eye
More than Alan's eyes were opened as he listened to the photographer sing her own poetry as accompaniment to her photos of nature. Mirabelli realised that what was missing in his life was passion. In his twenties he had used his skill and interest in photography to pay his way through university by shooting weddings and bar mitzvahs. "I practised photo-journalism, applying techniques and technology to my craft. Watching her, I suddenly realized that I hadn't given myself permission to explore something much deeper - a connection to something bigger, a greater power, evident in all."

He grabbed his cameras and tripod, and set out on a year-long pilgrimage of reconnection with his own spirituality. "I don't know who said it first, but it's true that sometimes the greatest distance to travel is the distance between the head and the heart. I had the luxury of photographing every day for a year, and I came home with a visual diary of that experience."

Seeing with New Eyes
Mirabelli's objective is to interpret, not to record. "The real act of discovery consists not in finding new lands, but in seeing with new eyes" (-Marcel Proust). His photographs are a dramatic validation of Proust's statement. The textured pattern of a giant tree trunk, the sensual physicality of the satiny smoothness of an Arbutus tree, the slimmest ray of dawn's first light through the darkness of a forest - his pictures do much more than record nature's never-ending supply of artistic subject matter. He describes his pictures as meditations - "Each one is a metaphor for what is going on in my life."

A major part of what is going on in his life is relearning the wonder of a child. "When I walk out the door to do a shoot I remember that I'm a seven-year-old child. I remember to look at things from completely different perspectives. I remember to be patient, and to be surprised." He has also learned appreciation, anticipation and the exhilarating freedom of doing something because he loves to do it, not because he has to conquer it or bring home a trophy.

He points to a stylized photo of a flower petal on his office wall in Nepean, where he is Executive Director of Administration and Communication at The Vanier Institute of the Family. "I keep that one up as a lesson in humility." He explains that he spent many hours attempting to coerce nature to conform to his artistic vision. Now he pursues the inspiration that comes from viewing the world from a place of wonder.

Community Connection
Alan has lived in Appleton since 1981. He believes that the incredible generosity of area artists and business people has been the foundation of his new artistic career, providing introductions, sharing knowledge and affording opportunities to show his work. When he took photographs into the Philip K. Wood Gallery in Almonte for framing, Wood invited him to mount his first showing at the Gallery. Shortly after, Colette Dionne of the Market Square Bistro asked him to display his work on the walls of her restaurant. The warm response was a tremendous encouragement.

Another connection garnered him the opportunity to pursue his other photographic passion - portraiture. Mirabelli's photographs of seven kids who have survived cancer form part of an exceptional book scheduled for publication next month under the title Project Hope.

Throughout the month of March, you can view a selection of his works at The Market Square Bistro at 70 Brea St. in Almonte (256-4452, www.marketsquarebistro.com/); or contact him directly at 257-7516 to arrange a viewing.