Artist Spotlight: Jamie Clarke
Share a little bit about yourself and what you create.
My name is Jamie Clarke & I have lived in Brantford now for almost 4 years on a quiet court in the north end of the city. For as long as I can remember I have had a fascination with abandoned buildings. One of the earliest places I can recall exploring was on old school house in Mississauga. I was maybe 12 years old & experienced such a thrill looking around the derelict, one room school that to this day I haven’t lost that feeling. A year before I moved to Brantford I bought a used digital SLR camera from a friend & began documenting my explores & sharing my photos online in various forums & communities.
What is your creative process like and what inspires it?
I really enjoy history as well as architecture so when I find an old abandoned place I try to capture the unique design or in some cases the sheer vastness of a space. I also try to imagine what it must have been like while it was still occupied. There is always beauty in decay & I try to capture that.
What has been your favourite creative moment?
About two years ago I received an email regarding a photo I had taken back in 2009 of an old refrigerator in an abandoned garage asking for permission to use it for a CD cover. I personally didn’t like the image as I was still learning new processing techniques. After speaking with the gentleman & learning a bit more about his band I said I had another image better suited. I sent the image & it ended up on the back cover of the CD! This showed me that I can do quality work & pushed me to keep working on my techniques.
What else do you enjoy doing with your time?
I spend a lot of time researching places to shoot as there are so many hidden gems out there just waiting to be discovered. Photo processing also can take up a lot of time. When I’m not working on my photography I enjoy BBQing, riding my bike & spending as much time as I can outdoors. I love going up north any time of the year but spending all day during the summer in Lake Simcoe is a favourite of mine.
Does creativity run into your family? If so, who is creative and what do they do?
My father was a medical equipment technician & would always teach me how to build little electronics for fun. We even built a robotic arm for a science fair out of Meccano that had two motors & mercury switches. I believe I placed 3rd!
How can we learn more about your work?
• Email – [email protected]
• Facebook – Jamie Clarke
• Flickr – Jamie Clarke
Where would you like your art to take you?
I would really like to sell my work as I have received numerous requests for prints. The places I go are rarely seen by the public & I would love to be able to have others enjoy what I experience. I currently am working with a printer so I can’t wait to see what the outcome will be!
How long have you lived in Brantford?
I have lived in Brantford for 4 years.
What is your favourite restaurant in town?
I love pizza & Luciani’s Pizza makes a fantastic pie! It’s always delicious & the staff is very friendly.
What local spaces or landmarks do you find inspiring?
To most it’s looked upon as an eye sore as well as hard times for the city but Massey-Ferguson is a huge inspiration to me. The architecture & sheer size of the facility always amazes me. It has motivated me to learn more of the city’s history as well to capture it beauty before it’s completely razed.
What change would you like to see in Brantford?
I would really like to see some manufacturing return to the city. It saddens me to see what happened when the factories closed up & I know that if there were more jobs available it would only improve our community.
