Geoffrey James

Geoffrey James
Born: St. Asaph, Clwyd, Wales, January 9, 1942
Education:
1955-60:
Wellington College, Crowthorne, Berkshire
1960-64:
Wadham College, Oxford, England, B.A. in Modern History, 1962,
M.A. in 1964
1965-:
Self taught in photogrpahy
Solo Exhibitions:
1971:
Sir George Williams University, Montreal
1975:
Yajima/Galerie, Montreal
1978:
Yajima/Galerie, Montreal
1981:
Photograph Gallery, New York
1982:
Yajima/Galerie, Montreal
1983:
Yarlow-Salzman Gallery, Toronto
Coburg Gallery, Vancouver
"Panoramic Photographs", Nova Scotia College of Art and Design,
Halifax
1984:
"Entrances and Exits: The Garden as Theatre", Agnes Etherington
Art Center, Queen's University, Kingston
1985:
"I Giardini Italiani", Palazzo Braschi, Rome
"I Giardini Italiani", Centre Internationale de Recherche, de
Creation et d'Animation, Villeneuve-les-Avignon, France
"Italian Gardens", University of Kent, Canterbury
"Genius Loci", Graham Foundation, Chicago, Il., (retrospective)
1986:
"Landscape with Ruins", Royal Institute of British Architecture,
Heinz Gallery, London
Coburg Gallery, Vancouver (with Glen Lewis)
"Genius Loci", organized by the Canadian Museum of Contemporary
Photography, Ottawa, travelling to:
Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton
Graham Foundation, Chicago
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria
Toronto Photographers Workshop, Toronto
Petro Canada Exhibition Gallery, Calgary
(travelled to 22 institutions in Canada and to the University of
Palermo in Italy)
1987:
Galerie Rene Blouin, Montreal
1988:
"Italian Journeys", Twining Gallery, N.Y., two person show with
Adolf Benca
1989:
Equinox Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
1990:
Galerie Rene Blouin, Montreal, Quebec
Equinox Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
Geoffrey James: Photographies 1979-1990, Verticale, Art
Contemporain, Quebec
1991:
Twining Gallery, New York
1992:
"Geoffrey James - Forgotten Zones", Laurence Miller Gallery,
New York
"Olmsted: une archeologie, 1990-1992", Galerie Rene Blouin,
Montreal
"Genius Loci" Photographs by Geoffrey James", Surrey Art Gallery,
Surrey, B.C.
1993:
Galerie Charles & Martin Gauthier, Quebec
"Geoffrey James: Asbestos", The Power Plant, Toronto, Ontario
1994:
"Geoffrey James: Asbestos", Galerie Rene Blouin, Montreal
1995:
Equinox Gallery, Vancouver
"Geoffrey James - Olmsted: An Archaeology", Linda Genereux
Gallery, Toronto
"Geoffrey James: Thinking Through History": Recent Photographs",
Trepanier Baer Gallery, Calgary
1996:
"Geoffrey James", Domaine de Kerguehennec, Centre d'art
contemporain, Bignan, France
"French Pictures", Equinox Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
Galerie Charles & Martin Gauthier, Quebec
1997-1998:
"Running Fence":
Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, Oct.-Nov., 1997
Presentation House Gallery, North Vancouver, May 2 -Jun. 7, 1998
MacKenzie Art Gallery, Regina, Sask., July 17 - Aug. 30, 1998
Illingworth Kerr Gallery & Alberta College of Art & Design, Calgary
Nov. 26 to Dece. 19, 1998
Centre international d'art contemporain de Montreal, Montreal,
Quebec., Sept., 1999
Oakville Galleries, Oakville, Ontario, Oct. 16 - Dec. 5, 1999
1997:
Espirit du Lieu, Fondation Pour L'Architecture, Brusselles
Galerie Rene Blouin, Montreal
1998:
"Trees", Equinox Gallery, Vancouver
2000:
Galerie Rene Blouin, Montreal
2001:
"Paris, 2000", Galerie Rene Blouin, Montreal
"Paris Photographies de Geoffrey James", Centre Culturel Canadien,
Paris, France
"Paris: Photographs by Geoffrey James", Trepanier Baer Gallery,
Calgary
2003:
"Geoffrey James: Photography", Equinox Gallery, Vancouver, BC
"Geoffrey James: Past / Present / Future, University of Toronto
Art Centre, Toronto, Ontario
"The Edge of Town", Eric Arthur Gallery of the Faculty of
Architecture, Landscape and Design, Toronto, Ontario
2004:
"Zones of Contact", The Americas Society, New York, NY
2007:
"Landscape and Memory, Part 1", Trepanier Baer Gallery,
Calgary, Alberta  
2009: Utopia/Dystopia: The Photographs of Geoffrey James, Kelowna Art Gallery, Organized by the National Gallery of Canada

Selected Group Exhibitions:
1977:
"13 Canadian Photographers", Madison Art Center, Wisconsin
1980:
"Group Exhibition: Photographers", Sander Gallery,
Washington, D.C.
1983:
"Panoramic Photographs", Equivalents Gallery, Seattle,Wa.
1985:
"Contemporary Canadian Photography", National Gallery of
Canada, Ottawa
1987:
"Classical Concerns", Twining Gallery, N.Y.
"Elementa Naturae", Musee d'Art Contemporain, Monteal, Quebec
"Diverse Secrecies", Presentation House, North Vancouver, B.C.
"Toronto, Le Nouveau, Nouveau Monde", (travelling exhibition),
Maison de l'Architecture, Paris; Bagatti Valsecchi, Milan (1988);
Casa de Architectura, Barcelona
1988:
Jan Turner Gallery, Los Angeles
1989:
"A Garden Walk", Twining Gallery, N.Y.
"Contemporary Canadian Photography, Budapest, Hungary
"Anamnese", Dazibao, Montreal
1990:
"Works for the Garden", Blum Helman Gallery, Santa Monica, Ca.
"The Shaping of Nature", Oakville Galleries, Oakville
1991:
"20th Century Photography, Equinox Gallery, Vancouver
"Un archipel de desirs, Musee du Quebec, Quebec
"Corriger les lieux", Dazibao, Montreal
Galerie Rene Blouin, Montreal (with Raymonde April)
1992:
"Reinvented Sites", Trepanier Baer Gallery, Calgary
Documenta, Ninth Exhibtion of this juried five-yearly show,
Kassel, Germany
"Il Secondo Paradiso: Natura e Giardino Nelle Imagine Dei
Grand Fotografi", Mole Antonelliana, Turin, Italy
Stux Gallery, New York, N.Y.
"Une seconde pensee du paysage", Domaine de Kerguehennec,
Centre doart contemporain, Bignan, France
"La collection: tableau inaugural", Montreal Museum of
Contemporary Art, Montreal
"Photography without Apology", Charles H. Scott Gallery,
Emily Carr College of Art, Vancouver
Turner-Krull Gallery, Los Angeles
1993:
"Observinng Traditions- Contemporary Photography", National
Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
"Arcadia/Paradise/Utopia", Surrey Art Gallery, Surrey, B.C.
"Reflecting Paradise", Canadian Participation Expo ?93,
Taejon, Korea
1994:
"Neapolis Metropolis", Palazzo Reale, Naples
1995:
"Travel Journals", Canadian Museum of Contemporary
Photography: Sima Khorrami, Benoit Aquin, Richard
Baillargeon, Ian Pateson, Raphael Goldchain, Geoffrey James,
Larry Towell, Robert Bourdeau, Serge Clement. Ottawa, Ontario.
"Instants Photographique", with Stan Douglas, Angela Grauerholtz
et al. Travelling show. Catalogue. Musee d'Art Contemporain de
Montreal, Montreal
"Silent Witness", United Nations, New York and United Nations,
Geneva. Travelling show with Helen Levitt, Robert Adams,
Irving Penn et al. Catalogue published by Harper Collins
"The Edge of Town", Joselit Gallery, University of Hartford,
with Robert Smithson, Hamish Fulton, Christo et al. Catalogue with
artists projects and essay by Stephen Bann
"World Tea Party", Transculture, Palazzi Justinian, Biennale di
Venezia
1996:
"Prospect 96, Photography in Contemporary Art", Frankfurter
Kunstverein. Catalogue essay by Peter Weimaier
"Viewing Olmsted: Photographs by Robert Burley, Lee
Friedlander, and Geoffrey James", Canadian Centre for
Architecture, Montreal, Quebec (travelling to the Wexner Center
for the Arts, Columbus, Ohio, The Field Museum, Chicago, The
Equitable Gallery, New York, and the Wellesley College Art
Museum, Wellesley, Massachusetts
"Rodney Graham: Stanley Park Cedars; Geoffrey James: Olmsted:
An Archaeology; Richard Long: Idaho Quartz Circle", Angles
Gallery, Santa Monica, Ca.
"Instants Photographiques", Couvent des Cordeliers, Paris
"Carnets de voyage (1)", Centre International d'Art Contemporain
de Montreal, Montreal
"The Edge of Town", Joselit Gallery, University of Hartford,
Connecticut
"Crossing the Frontier: Photographing the American West - 1840 to
the Present", San Francisco MOMA (travelling to Yale Art Gallery,
Yale University, New Haven; Museum of Photography, Tokyo)
1997:
"Landscapes in Democracy: Frederick Law Olmsted", Musee de
L'Elysee, Lansanne
"Work, Workers, Works: Rearranging the Land", Dalhousie Art
Gallery, Nova Scotia
2006:
"Landscape: Recent Acquisitions", MOMA, New York, NY
2008:
Galerie Ren? Blouin, Montreal, QC
"Utopia/Dystopia: The Photographs of Geoffrey James",
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, ON

Publications & Reviews:
1983:
"Geoffrey James" by Ian Wallace, Vanguard Magazine, September
p. 50, review of exhibit at the Coburg Gallery, Vancouver
1984:
"Entrances & Exits: The Garden as Theatre", exhibition catalogue
by Geoffrey James, Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queen's
University, Kingston, Ontario (Catalogue)
1985:
"Paradise Lost" by Douglas Chambers, Canadian Art, Summer
"Geoffrey James" by Pier Luigi Tazzi, Artforum (New York),
November, pp. 114-115, review of exhibit at the Palazzo Braschi,
Rome
1985:
"I Giardini Italiani: Un Pellegrinaggio", Palazzo Braschi, Museo
di Roma, introduction by Ippolito Pizzetti (12 reproductions)
(Catalogue)
1986:
"Landscape with Ruins", text by John Harris and Geoffrey James,
Royal Institute of British Architects, London (Catalogue)
Exhibition review of "Ariba", by Colin Eisler, Financial Times,
London, November 17
"Jardins/Gardens", Parachute Magazine, Montreal, Sept.-Nov.
"Genius Loci", by Geoffrey James with an introduction by Martha
Langford, Ottawa (Book)
"Stops on a Fantastic Itinerary", by Monique Mosser, Lotus
International, Vol. 52, pp. 73-86
"Morbid Symptoms", Princeton Architecture Press, Princeton,
New Jersey, photographs by Geoffrey James and text by
Monique Mosser (Book)
1987:
"Genius Loci", by Gail Fisher-Taylor, Photo Communique, Summer,
p. 38
"Morbid Symptoms & Genius Loci", by Peggy Dale,
Canadian Art Magazine, Summer Issue
1987:
"Exposing the Twilight of the Liberal Dream: James focuses on
French Utopias", by John Bentley Mays, The Globe and Mail,
Toronto, May 16, p. C6
"Deux expositions a la galerie Rene Blouin", Le Devoir, Montreal,
April 28, p. 16
Nouveau Monde", text by George Baird and Ruth Cawker, Maison
de l'architecture, Paris (6 plates by Geoffrey James) (Catalogue)
"Elementa Naturae", Musee d'art Contemporain de
Montreal, Montreal, Toronto le Nouveau (Catalogue)
1987:
"Diverse Secrecies", Presentation House, North Vancouver
(Catalogue)
"Contemporary Photographers", text by Michael Mitchell,
St. James Press, Londres (Book)
1988:"Critics' Choices", by Gene Thornton, The New York Times,
Sunday, January 10, 1988
"Eight Photographs for Frederick Law Olmsted"
(portfolio Photographique), Rubicon, Vol. 10
"Geoffrey James: De l'Esprit des Lieux", by Monique Mosser,
Beaux-Arts, Paris, No. 57, May, pp. 84-89
"Morbid Symptoms" an article by Monique Mosser, Lotus
International
1989:
Anamnese, Dazibao, Montreal, text by Philippe Dubois (4 plates
by Geoffrey James) (Catalogue)
1990:
"Les chemins panoramiques de Geoffrey James", by Sylvie
Olivier, Vie des Arts, Autumn
"Gardening Utopia: An Interview with Geoffrey James", Border
Crossings, Volume 9, Number 1, January
"La Campagna Romana", Editions Galerie Rene Blouin, Montreal,
text by Geoffrey James (19 plates) (Book)
"James Photos Shed New Light on Old Sites" by Henry Lehmann,
The Gazette, Montreal, Thursday, April 12th
1991:
Review of exhibit "Corriger les lieux", by Guy Bellavance, Autumn
Review of exhibit at the Equinox Gallery, Petra Rigby Watson,
C. Magazine, Toronto, Winter
"La Campagna Romana", by Geoffrey James, Editions Galerie
Rene Blouin
"The Italian Garden" , Photographs by Geoffrey James,
Essay by Robert Harbison, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers,
New York (93 photographs) (Book)
"Photography", Goings on About Town, Review of the Abrams
Book "The Italian Garden", by Ingrid Sischy, The New Yorker,
July 15, 1991, p. 12
"Symbolic Reports on the Essence of Mount Royal", article by
Stephen Godfrey, The Arts, The Globe and Mail, Thursday,
July 11, 1991, p. A9
"Photography - Best Bets in the Visual Arts", Review of
"The Italian Garden", Canadian Art, Summer 1991, Volume 8,
Number 2
1992:
Review of exhibit at the Twining Gallery, by Gretchen
Faust, Artsmagazine, New York
Review of exhibit at the Stux Gallery, by Charles Hagen,
The New York Times
"The Artists in Documenta IX", by Wilma Suto, supplement to
Archia, No. 6
"To Montreal, Photography by Geoffrey James", by Georges
Bogardi, Canadian Art, Fall, 1992, Volume 9, Number 3, p.p. 52-59
"Nine Canadian Artists, Nine Remarkable Choices", by
John Bentley Mays, The Globe and Mail, Toronto, June 16
Review of Documenta IX, by Donald Kuspit, C. Magazine
"La collection: tableau inaugural", text by Sandra Grant Marchand,
Musee d'art contemporain de Montreal, ill. pp.415-420
(Catalogue)
"Toronto Places", University of Toronto (44 photographs) (Book)
1993:
"The Use of the Photographic Image", by Regis Durand, Artpress,
Paris
"Portrait of a Landscape as Ambiguous", by John Bentley Mays,
The Globe and Mail, Toronto, Saturday, December 18, p. C4
Review of Arcadia/Paradise/Utopia, Border Crossings, by Petra
Rigby Watson
"Vista to View, The Panoramic Image in Landscape Photography",
text by Philip Van Keuren, The Gallery, Huges-Trigg Student
Center, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas (Catalogue)
1994:
"Montrealer turns his attentions from gardens to slag heaps",
by by Ann Duncan, The Gazette, Montreal, Saturday, January 29,
p. 115
Peter MacCallum, C. Magazine, Issue 41, Spring, pp. 56-58
"Paysages choisies", by Stephane Aquin, Voir, Montreal,
March 17 and 23, p. 26
"Voyages in inner space", By Nancy Baele, The Gazette,
Montreal, Saturday, July 30, 1994, p. H5
"Sur la route", by Marie-Michele Cron, Le Devoir, Montreal,
Saturday and Sunday, August 13 and 14, p. C-9
"Geoffrey James - Charles Gagnon", by Mona Hakim, Le
Devoir, Montreal, March 26, 1994, p. C-14
"Carnets de Voyage - Travel Journals", text by Pierre Dessureault,
Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, Ottawa,
plates by Geoffrey James) (Catalogue)
"Asbestos", text by Richard Rhodes, The Power Plant, Toronto
(29 plates) (Catalogue)
1995:
"Silent Witnesses", text by Boutros Boutros-Ghali, United
Nations and Harper Collins (Book)
"Geoffrey James: brilliant urban images", by John Bentley
Mays, The Globe and Mail, Toronto, Monday, April 19
"Montreal au XXe siecle: regards de photographes", Les
Editions de l'Homme, under the direction of Michel Lessard

1996:
"Haunting Images Capture Spirit of Chateau Abandoned Long Ago",
by Michael Scott, The Weekend Sun, Saturday, May 25, 1996, C9
"Photos et sculptures en Bretagne", by Jennifer Couelle,
Le Devoir, Montreal, Saturday and Sunday, May 25 and 26, p. D8
1996:
"Bien sages voyages", by Jennifer Couelle, Le Devoir, Montreal
"Olmsted", by Max Kozloff, Canadian Art, Winter, Vol. 13, No. 4,
pp. 50-58
"Olmsted", by Gary Michael Dault, Canadian Art, Winter, Vol. 13,
No. 4, pp. 50-58
"Prospect 96 - Photography in Contemporary Art", text by
Peter Weiemair, Frankfurther Kunstverein, Frankfurt (Catalogue)
"Crossing the Frontier: Photographing the American West - 1840 to
the Present", text by Sandra Phillips et al, San Francisco
MOMA (Catalogue)
"The Edge of Town" (artist project) text by Stephen Bann,
Joselit Gallery, University of Hartford (Catalogue)
"Viewing Olmsted: Photographs by Bob Burley, Lee Friedlander
and Geoffrey James", text by Phyllis Lambert, Paolo Constantini,
John Szarkowski and David Harris, Canadian Centre of
Architecture, Montreal (Catalogue)
1997:
"On Viewing Olmsted", by Ernest Pascussi, Artforum, February
"Carving Green out of Urban Gray", by Richard B. Woodward,
N.Y. Times, Sunday, January 5, 1997.
"Exploring a human's place in the context of technology", by
Dorota Kozinska, The Gazette, Montreal, Saturday, January 11
"Dazzled in an Olmsted Park", by Mark Power, Times Literary
Supplement, July 11
"Sunday in the Park with Fred: Visualizing Olmsted's Legacy",by
Herbert Muschamp, The New York Times, February 28
"The World Tea Party", text by Jennifer Fisher et al,
Presentation House, Vancouver (Catalogue)
"Work, Workers, Works: Rearranging the Land", text by
Robert Bean and Susan Gibson Garrty, Dalhousie University Art
Gallery (Catalogue)
1998:
"Bordering on the desperate: photos show U.S. and Mexican
corruption", by Michael Scott, The Vancouver Sun, Saturday,
May 9, F3
2000:
"Canadian Art from Its Beginnings to 2000", by Anne Newlands,
p. 160, Published by Firefly Books, Inc., Willowdale, ON
2001:
"Paris Photographies de Geoffrey James", Texte de Hubert
Damisch
2002:
"View Finder: The Photography of Geoffrey James",
Interview by Robert Enright, Border Crossings, Volume 21,
Number 1, Issue No. 81, p. 44-57.
"Depth of field", by Sandra Martin, The Globe and Mail,
Wednesday, may 22, 2002, R1 and R5
Writings by the Artist:
1975:
"Transparent Things: The Artists Use of the Photograph",
Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa, with text by the artist
"An Inquiry into the Aesthetics of Photography", Artscanada,
December (editor and contributor)
1976:
"Atget and His Legacy", Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton
(with text by the artist)
1984:
"The Republic of Images", in "Responding to Photography",
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto
1991:
"13 Essays on Photography", Canadian Museum of Contemporary
Photography, Ottawa (introduction by Geoffrey James)

Grants and Awards:
1984:
Canada Council "B" Grant
Fellowship, Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in
Fine Arts, Chicago
1986:
Artist in Residence at Centre Internationale de Recherche
de Creation d'Animation, Villeneuve-les-Avignon, France
1987:
Canada Council "A" Grant
1988-89:
Ministere des Affaires Culturelles du Quebec "A" Grant
1989-90:
Guggenheim Fellowship, Guggenheim Foundation, New York
1991:
Ministere des Affaires Culturelles du Quebec "A" Grant
1992:
Prix Victor Lynch Staunton, Canada Council
1994:
Short term grant, Ministere de la Culture du Quebec
2002:
Gershon Iskowitz Prize
Roloff Beny Photography Book Award - "Paris"
Collections:
Musee d'Art Contemporain, Montreal
Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa
Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton
Winnipeg Art Gallery, Manitoba
Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montreal
Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris
Palazzo Braschi, Rome
John Labatt Ltd.
Steinberg Inc.
Air Canada
Alcan
Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver
Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta
Graphothek der Stadtbucherei, Stuttgart, W. Germany
Surrey Art Gallery, Surrey, B.C.
Museum of Modern Art, New York
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
Museum of Contemporary Photography, Ottawa
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Fonds National de L'Art Contemporain, France
Musee de l'Elysee, Lausanne
San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art
Mount Allison University, Sackville, N.B.
La Collection Pret d'Oeuvres d'Art du Musee du Quebec,
Quebec
Concordia University, Montreal
Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Kingston, Ontario
Cleveland Museum of Fine Art, Cleveland
National Archives of Canada, Ottawa
The Canadian Embassy, Warsaw, Poland
Numerous private and corporate collections