January 15 – March 29, 2026
Cliff, crag, debris fall, boulder garden, estuary, defile, headwall, moraine, scree, slab, talus…
These words describe British Columbia’s physical makeup, a land continually and often dramatically altered by geophysics and climate. In the Chilcotin, along the Fraser and Thompson canyons, at the base of the Stawamus Chief and under the Point Grey cliffs, changes in the land are subtle and mostly unremarkable—until they are not. Stability is an illusion: the erosive effect of wind, ice, rain, waves, and tectonic movement continually modify the land.
Everything changes, especially us.
-Michael Cox
Through black-and-white images of local landscapes, photographer Michael Cox captures the forces of erosion and change through time. From wildfire-charred trees to moss-covered boulders, we can see how climate change and biodiversity intersect with geology to reshape familar environments. Cox’s documentation of these processes are reflective of weathering and ageing, of the Earth and of ourselves.
photo: Michael Cox
Michael Cox worked on many television series and feature films as a grip for over three decades, before earning an MA at SFU (Liberal Studies), where he made several short documentary films on the intersection of public spaces and public art. His most recent career was as a transit operator with West Vancouver’s Blue Bus. Recently retired and able to devote more time to photography, his interest in erosion was, in part, sparked by turning seventy and by the increasingly dramatic changes brought about by the ravages we’ve inflicted on the land and climate.
He has exhibited at West Vancouver’s Ferry Building Gallery and a solo show at the Commercial Street Café Gallery. While he continues an exploration of erosion with traditional landscape photography, another interest is more experimental, involving various representations of time within a still image.