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Borderlands Review - Alberta Views Magazine
October 2020 Issue
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October 2020 Issue
(Click Photo to Read)
Click Photo to Watch One Minute Book Video
What They're Saying About Borderlands
The photographs invite contemplation. Like the land they depict they’re quiet and uncrowded but reward close study. I think Mark’s texts are interesting and helpful introductions to the photographs, serving to ground us in the experience behind their creation. I was especially taken by the passages about border crossings.
Borderlands is a powerful and unique addition to artistic and cultural studies of the northern plains. I look forward to purchasing a copy for the Yale Collection of Western Americana.
George Miles, William Robertson Coe Curator
Yale Collection of Western Americana
Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library
The photographs invite contemplation. Like the land they depict they’re quiet and uncrowded but reward close study. I think Mark’s texts are interesting and helpful introductions to the photographs, serving to ground us in the experience behind their creation. I was especially taken by the passages about border crossings.
Borderlands is a powerful and unique addition to artistic and cultural studies of the northern plains. I look forward to purchasing a copy for the Yale Collection of Western Americana.
George Miles, William Robertson Coe Curator
Yale Collection of Western Americana
Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library
Vitaris sees beyond the clichéd images of abandoned buildings to the meaning that lingers on. He draws on the voices he hears, and uses natural light brilliantly to draw our eye into the clues residing in the scenes. His compositions are clear-eyed, flawless and evocative. This is a landscape that doesn’t tolerate sentimentality.
Vitaris has been honing his story for years and could easily have produced a book with thousands of images. He carefully edits for drama giving an intimate glimpse of an old checkerboard then moving to the bigger breathtaking landscape. Juxtapositions can be gently ironic at times.
Donna Livingstone, CEO, Peter and Catharine Whyte Foundation and Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
What an endeavor! Borderlands is like a stand alone museum artifact...
Christopher Kortlander, Custer Battlefield Museum, Montana
Mark Vitaris presents powerful images and words throughout Borderlands. The stories and poems, with the accompanying dramatic photos, leave the reader with a sense of journey and purpose as they travel along both sides of the Canadian-American international boundary.
Ken Robison, Historian, Overholser Historical Research Center, Montana
Vitaris has been honing his story for years and could easily have produced a book with thousands of images. He carefully edits for drama giving an intimate glimpse of an old checkerboard then moving to the bigger breathtaking landscape. Juxtapositions can be gently ironic at times.
Donna Livingstone, CEO, Peter and Catharine Whyte Foundation and Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
What an endeavor! Borderlands is like a stand alone museum artifact...
Christopher Kortlander, Custer Battlefield Museum, Montana
Mark Vitaris presents powerful images and words throughout Borderlands. The stories and poems, with the accompanying dramatic photos, leave the reader with a sense of journey and purpose as they travel along both sides of the Canadian-American international boundary.
Ken Robison, Historian, Overholser Historical Research Center, Montana
Borderlands is an admirably ambitious project.
Sarah Todd, Curator, Art, Glenbow Museum
Sarah Todd, Curator, Art, Glenbow Museum
What a superb volume...Having travelled from time to time in “Borderlands” I was greatly taken with his treatment of many sites...The use of black and white is most effective and I was much taken by the drama created by those clouds seemingly rushing towards one out of a huge threatening sky. Congratulations...A real treasure for my collection.
July 7th, 2021 Graham McDonald, British Columbia
July 7th, 2021 Graham McDonald, British Columbia
Let me start by saying how much I love your book “Borderlands”. I have good number of books by well known international photographers and yours is one of the best that I’ve have ever seen. Everything about it is superb: the photography of course, but also the text, the quality of the the printing and paper, the binding, the cover, etc. It’s just such a lovely book to hold in your hands and read.
June 25th, 2021 Bill McCloskey, RA Photo Club, Ottawa, Ontario
June 25th, 2021 Bill McCloskey, RA Photo Club, Ottawa, Ontario
Borderlands, by Mark Vitaris, is an amazing work of art. The artwork begins with opening the shipping package and being confronted with its contents. The book is as though sculpted, with rich grey cloth covers, embossed title, and its hallmark photo on the cover. It is heavy, reflecting the quality materials-- paper, covers, ink-- used to create this beautiful objet d'art.
Opening the book, the images seem to draw your eye in, beckoning you to explore the landscape that Mark has so skillfully brought to you. Mark knows his subject-- a disappearing landscape-- well, and studied it carefully. His narration captures the moment of each image and in Mark's own way, he walks in the tradition of Plowden, Adams, and Watkins.
I highly recommend Borderlands for a place of pride in your art photobook library collection.
May 5th, 2021 Walt Duddington, Past President
Portland Photographers Forum
Borderlands by Mark Vitaris is a beautiful book... the images are stunning. I really like [the] cover...it is a very classy look.
August 24th, 2020 Chic Scott, Alberta
Looking at the volume and the staggering number of images I can see not only your vision, but the intimate connection you have with the landscape and history.
Thank you for this.
August 14th, 2020 Phil Hossack, Manitoba
Mark, my hat is off to you..Your use of B&W is perfect. The full range of tones are beautifully reproduced...And the text...to my mind your writing is equal to the quality of the images—a perfect marriage. While there are no photos of people in your book, your text peoples the landscape for us, a varied bunch of Aboriginal inhabitants, explorers, military officers, drifters and dreamers. You have created a true work of art.
August 10th, 2020 Patrick McCloskey, Alberta
I have always enjoyed your photography...but seeing it in this format was a wonderful experience, I literally couldn't put it down & ended up reading it cover to cover.
Great stories & narrative.
July 2nd, 2020 Julian Ferreira, Operations Director, The Camera Store, Calgary, Alberta
We have been sitting going through the book this afternoon and have been blown away by the raw beauty of the photographs. Well done...The gentle rolling countryside and the enormous skies remind us of The Fens in this country. The sad homesteads and deserted chapels makes you think back to when they were a much loved home or community hub. Very evocative.
May 20th, 2020 Sylvia & Derek Eccles, North York, Great Britain
Opening the book, the images seem to draw your eye in, beckoning you to explore the landscape that Mark has so skillfully brought to you. Mark knows his subject-- a disappearing landscape-- well, and studied it carefully. His narration captures the moment of each image and in Mark's own way, he walks in the tradition of Plowden, Adams, and Watkins.
I highly recommend Borderlands for a place of pride in your art photobook library collection.
May 5th, 2021 Walt Duddington, Past President
Portland Photographers Forum
Borderlands by Mark Vitaris is a beautiful book... the images are stunning. I really like [the] cover...it is a very classy look.
August 24th, 2020 Chic Scott, Alberta
Looking at the volume and the staggering number of images I can see not only your vision, but the intimate connection you have with the landscape and history.
Thank you for this.
August 14th, 2020 Phil Hossack, Manitoba
Mark, my hat is off to you..Your use of B&W is perfect. The full range of tones are beautifully reproduced...And the text...to my mind your writing is equal to the quality of the images—a perfect marriage. While there are no photos of people in your book, your text peoples the landscape for us, a varied bunch of Aboriginal inhabitants, explorers, military officers, drifters and dreamers. You have created a true work of art.
August 10th, 2020 Patrick McCloskey, Alberta
I have always enjoyed your photography...but seeing it in this format was a wonderful experience, I literally couldn't put it down & ended up reading it cover to cover.
Great stories & narrative.
July 2nd, 2020 Julian Ferreira, Operations Director, The Camera Store, Calgary, Alberta
We have been sitting going through the book this afternoon and have been blown away by the raw beauty of the photographs. Well done...The gentle rolling countryside and the enormous skies remind us of The Fens in this country. The sad homesteads and deserted chapels makes you think back to when they were a much loved home or community hub. Very evocative.
May 20th, 2020 Sylvia & Derek Eccles, North York, Great Britain
...the best photography book I have seen this year.
May 19th, 2020 Carol Ho, Hong Kong
To say that the book is absolutely stunning would be to do it a disservice...I thoroughly enjoyed the book...I found the text both fascinating in it's history and delightful in it's writing. Stories like "Return Of Grass Woman", "Full Circle" and "Bear Child" were revelations, providing insight into the history of an area through which I have often traveled, but never really understood...Gorgeous images that have been called reminiscent of Ansel Adams... Mark is a brilliant photographer, with a superb understanding of the B&W medium. My hat is off to him!
May 7th, 2020 David Young, Editor, The Leica Reflex Forum - British Columbia
May 19th, 2020 Carol Ho, Hong Kong
To say that the book is absolutely stunning would be to do it a disservice...I thoroughly enjoyed the book...I found the text both fascinating in it's history and delightful in it's writing. Stories like "Return Of Grass Woman", "Full Circle" and "Bear Child" were revelations, providing insight into the history of an area through which I have often traveled, but never really understood...Gorgeous images that have been called reminiscent of Ansel Adams... Mark is a brilliant photographer, with a superb understanding of the B&W medium. My hat is off to him!
May 7th, 2020 David Young, Editor, The Leica Reflex Forum - British Columbia
Loving This Great Book!
April 29th, 2020 George Webber - Alberta
April 29th, 2020 George Webber - Alberta
C'est magnifique. Une esthétique rude et poétique à la fois. Un véritable travail documentaire. Une contribution aux archives, car on sent le passage du temps, l'effritement d'un passé. Donne tellement le goût d'aller voir ces territoires frontaliers... Bref, je suis très heureux d'avoir mis la main sur un exemplaire.
[color=black]April 22nd, 2020 Marc Lemire - Quebec
You have created something really great with this book, better than I imagined. Since I have been following your pictures on Instagram for a long time, I have a strong connection to this book.
March 28th, 2020 Meinhard Schmidt - Germany
I want to thank you for your perseverance to bring such a work to the public. The choice of black and white for this subject matter is ideal. It's been a few years since I was in the darkroom , but it makes me want to get back to some serious photography.
March 27th, 2020 Jeff Corbett - Alberta
Mark there is no colour photography with so much impact like your B/W. Very well done.
March 27th, 2020 Walter Weber - Alberta
I am thrilled and completely overwhelmed by the book! By all those incredible images full of dedication and empathy. By the texts and poems. I don’t understand everything, but enough to feel the silence, the distances, the solitude and the melancholy of this landscape in your words. The book comes at the right time. Forced to stay at home all the time, I can still travel with your photographs. To another world - far far away…
March 26th, 2020 Angela Contzen - Germany
Your book is a real treasure. I am so happy to have it and I will appreciate it for many years to come!
March 25th, 2020 Dean Reeves - New Brunswick
Love the photos of Alberta, Saskatchewan, North Dakota, Montana.
You have a really good photographer's eye... Love black and white, and your shadows.
There is a sense of loneliness and abandonment in your photos; a life gone by?
March 25th, 2020 Carl Cuneo - Ontario
Mark, the book is beyond beautiful - I love it - both the images and the stories bring one back through time with a touching reverence for the past. Well done.
March 24th, 2020 Nancy Pusatier - Florida
You did an exceptional job with the book, we knew it would be good, but it wildly exceeded my expectations. You found a great balance between your photos and the your written text. You said enough to convey your personal love and respect for the area, and brought in enough history to give readers a good taste of the background.
March 23rd, 2020 Bob White - Alberta
Ah, the images. If I had to choose one word... it would be "stunning." Each one pulls in the eyes and turns them loose in the corners, the center, the right, the left, and onto the lines suggested by each particular photograph. Each is a work of art. It is a compelling book, one that I will be proud to show family and friends, and also to return to often to be moved by its messages.
March 22nd, 2020 Prof. Jonathan Andelson, Director, Center for Prairie Studies, Grinnell College, Iowa
Borderlands is a breathtakingly beautiful book, it’s a work of love of landscape, history and metaphysics. It is a love letter to our prairies...a gift to the world. I love the way you intertwine historical time, both geological and stretching back to the pre-Contact and the stories and tragedies brought on by contact. I am especially moved by your retelling of Sitting Bull’s story.
March 21st, 2020 Dave Driftmier - Alberta
Hi Mark! I wanted to let you know that I received your book yesterday. It’s great and better than I anticipated with excellent image reproduction. I’ll be enjoying your images for years to come. Thanks!
March 20th, 2020 Terry Olsen - Arkansas
..a balm in troubled times that reminds one of the enduring essence of nature. Thanks Mark!
March 16th, 2020 John Millsaps - Georgia
You have not only captured the chest-punching awe of open prairie, but also the soft poetry of the land. One can stand surrounded in the seemingly endless Saskatchewan grasslands, yet feel gentle breeze, smell complex herbal scents, hear delicate birdsong. Even more, emptied of other mundane attachments, one might actually hear with a heightened imagination the sounds of human endeavour making its way across an seeming impossible terrain, as you did.
March 13th, 2020 Peter Duthie - Alberta
Your book is beautifully written and photographed. There is a wonderful quiet sensitivity to the land that you embraced. That feeling came off the pages and the prairie wind did brush my face. There were many photos that I lingered on such as the church in Dooley MT., it stands defiant against the years daring the next prairie storm to bring it crashing down. The inside of the house in Orion AB. with the glasses on the table, the inside of the church with the pews under the window with the faint glimpse of a cross and of course the Millar House. Well done Mark.
March 12th, 2020 Anne Tapler White - Alberta
An amazing and important work of art and history!
March 12th, 2020 Peter Kaczor - Alberta
Updated: September 15th, 2024
[color=black]April 22nd, 2020 Marc Lemire - Quebec
You have created something really great with this book, better than I imagined. Since I have been following your pictures on Instagram for a long time, I have a strong connection to this book.
March 28th, 2020 Meinhard Schmidt - Germany
I want to thank you for your perseverance to bring such a work to the public. The choice of black and white for this subject matter is ideal. It's been a few years since I was in the darkroom , but it makes me want to get back to some serious photography.
March 27th, 2020 Jeff Corbett - Alberta
Mark there is no colour photography with so much impact like your B/W. Very well done.
March 27th, 2020 Walter Weber - Alberta
I am thrilled and completely overwhelmed by the book! By all those incredible images full of dedication and empathy. By the texts and poems. I don’t understand everything, but enough to feel the silence, the distances, the solitude and the melancholy of this landscape in your words. The book comes at the right time. Forced to stay at home all the time, I can still travel with your photographs. To another world - far far away…
March 26th, 2020 Angela Contzen - Germany
Your book is a real treasure. I am so happy to have it and I will appreciate it for many years to come!
March 25th, 2020 Dean Reeves - New Brunswick
Love the photos of Alberta, Saskatchewan, North Dakota, Montana.
You have a really good photographer's eye... Love black and white, and your shadows.
There is a sense of loneliness and abandonment in your photos; a life gone by?
March 25th, 2020 Carl Cuneo - Ontario
Mark, the book is beyond beautiful - I love it - both the images and the stories bring one back through time with a touching reverence for the past. Well done.
March 24th, 2020 Nancy Pusatier - Florida
You did an exceptional job with the book, we knew it would be good, but it wildly exceeded my expectations. You found a great balance between your photos and the your written text. You said enough to convey your personal love and respect for the area, and brought in enough history to give readers a good taste of the background.
March 23rd, 2020 Bob White - Alberta
Ah, the images. If I had to choose one word... it would be "stunning." Each one pulls in the eyes and turns them loose in the corners, the center, the right, the left, and onto the lines suggested by each particular photograph. Each is a work of art. It is a compelling book, one that I will be proud to show family and friends, and also to return to often to be moved by its messages.
March 22nd, 2020 Prof. Jonathan Andelson, Director, Center for Prairie Studies, Grinnell College, Iowa
Borderlands is a breathtakingly beautiful book, it’s a work of love of landscape, history and metaphysics. It is a love letter to our prairies...a gift to the world. I love the way you intertwine historical time, both geological and stretching back to the pre-Contact and the stories and tragedies brought on by contact. I am especially moved by your retelling of Sitting Bull’s story.
March 21st, 2020 Dave Driftmier - Alberta
Hi Mark! I wanted to let you know that I received your book yesterday. It’s great and better than I anticipated with excellent image reproduction. I’ll be enjoying your images for years to come. Thanks!
March 20th, 2020 Terry Olsen - Arkansas
..a balm in troubled times that reminds one of the enduring essence of nature. Thanks Mark!
March 16th, 2020 John Millsaps - Georgia
You have not only captured the chest-punching awe of open prairie, but also the soft poetry of the land. One can stand surrounded in the seemingly endless Saskatchewan grasslands, yet feel gentle breeze, smell complex herbal scents, hear delicate birdsong. Even more, emptied of other mundane attachments, one might actually hear with a heightened imagination the sounds of human endeavour making its way across an seeming impossible terrain, as you did.
March 13th, 2020 Peter Duthie - Alberta
Your book is beautifully written and photographed. There is a wonderful quiet sensitivity to the land that you embraced. That feeling came off the pages and the prairie wind did brush my face. There were many photos that I lingered on such as the church in Dooley MT., it stands defiant against the years daring the next prairie storm to bring it crashing down. The inside of the house in Orion AB. with the glasses on the table, the inside of the church with the pews under the window with the faint glimpse of a cross and of course the Millar House. Well done Mark.
March 12th, 2020 Anne Tapler White - Alberta
An amazing and important work of art and history!
March 12th, 2020 Peter Kaczor - Alberta
Updated: September 15th, 2024