BIO / SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

Bill Hornbostel

Biography

Bill Hornbostel arrived at photography through a roundabout route. He had studied painting and drawing as an undergraduate at Bard College in New York state, but his path veered into the study of history and subsequently meandered into teaching and editing. He exchanged the brush and canvas for the camera in that time, but it was only after a stint in graduate school that he made a concerted effort to dive into photography properly. In this, he has been largely self-taught, but his photographic work builds on his earlier artistic training.

Much of his photography is based on his travels in North America and Europe. Recent series have captured the highlands of Scotland and the French Quarter of New Orleans. Upcoming series will feature images of Toronto and Jasper National Park in Alberta.

Represented by the Elaine Fleck Gallery.

Artist Statement

I am an artist who specializes in the fine art photography; landscapes, nature, and architecture. Much of my work features the contrast between the static and the ephemeral, between the monumental immovability of stone or structure and the ever-changing chaos of water and sky. In the pursuit of this contrast, the geometric principles of architecture hold as much interest for me as the rough forms of the natural world.

Where once I painted, now I take photographs. The change in medium has dramatically changed the nature and rhythm of my work. Instead of working quickly to capture a scene, now I work slowly; long exposure has superseded quick brush-strokes to create impressionistic effects. And in working slowly, I feel I am better able to take in the sounds and the smells of a place, and I can work with the changing light rather than fighting against it. In working slowly, I try to convey the sense of being at peace within a frenzied world, of being unaffected by the surrounding, surging elements and of being beyond the swift passage of time.

While my medium of choice is photography, I do not seek to merely record the world before me. The negative is merely a starting point for crafting an image. I do as much as I can to create a good negative in-camera, often using optical filters. Then I work on the image in with various tools in digital post-processing, digitally brushing luminance into my images, to make a visually and emotionally compelling image.

Selected Exhibitions

2022	"THREE PHOTOGRAPHERS", BILL HORNBOSTEL, BEN HUANG, GARY RAY RUSH, 2022, Elaine Fleck Gallery

2021	Group Exhibition "NEW ARTWORK BY GALLERY ARTISTS" Elaine Fleck Gallery, December 2021

2020	Group Exhibition "NEW ARTWORK BY GALLERY ARTISTS" Elaine Fleck Gallery, December 2020

2019	Group Exhibition "NEW ARTWORK BY GALLERY ARTISTS" Elaine Fleck Gallery, December 2019

2018

“Bill Hornbostel/Mark Craig/Mikael Sandblom.” Elaine Fleck Gallery. Toronto, ON, 2018.

“Elaine Fleck Fine Art Group Catalogue Exhibition Fall 2018.” Elaine Fleck Gallery. Toronto, ON, 2018.

“Elaine Fleck Fine Art Group Catalogue Exhibition Spring 2018.” Elaine Fleck Gallery. Toronto, ON, 2018.

“Scotland Rocks.” Elaine Fleck Gallery. Toronto, ON, 2018.

2017	“Elaine Fleck Fine Art Group Catalogue Exhibition Winter 2017.” Elaine Fleck Gallery. Toronto, ON, 2017. “Scotland Exposure.” Elaine Fleck Gallery. Toronto, ON, 2017. “Elaine Fleck Fine Art Group Catalogue Exhibition Fall 2017.” Elaine Fleck Gallery. Toronto, ON. 2017. “In the Air.” Solo exhibition in the Spark Photo Festival. Port Hope, ON, 2017. “Inner Dialogues.” Annual Juried Art Exhibition. The Latcham Gallery. Stouffvile, ON, 2017. “Winter 2016-2017 Catalogue Exhibition.” Elaine Fleck Gallery. Toronto, ON, 2017. “Jacqueline Veltri ‘New Paintings,’ also featuring Lillian Sheppard and Bill Hornbostel.” Elaine Fleck Gallery. Toronto, ON, 2017.
2016	“Biannual Juried Exhibition.” Grimsby Public Art Gallery. Grimsby, ON, 2016. CLIC Photo Show. Juried exhibition. Picton, ON, 2016. “Architectural Studies II.” Solo exhibition in the SPARK Photo Festival, Peterborough, ON, 2016. “Resonance.” Annual Juried Art Exhibition. The Latcham Gallery. Stouffville, ON, 2016. “Architectural Studies.” Solo show. Clarington, ON, 2016.
2015	CLIC Photo Show. Juried exhibition. Picton, ON, 2015. “Architectural Studies.” Solo exhibition in the SPARK Photo Festival. Peterborough, ON, 2015. “Intersections.” Group show. Colborne Art Gallery. Colborne, ON, 2015.
2014	“Between a Rock and a Wet Place.” Solo exhibition in the SPARK Photo Festival. Peterborough, ON, 2014. “The Artist Project.” Juried exhibition. Toronto, ON, 2014. “Vessels.” Group show. Colborne Art Gallery. Colborne, ON, 2014.
2013	CLIC Photo Show. Juried exhibition. Picton, ON, 2013. “The Lake in Winter and Other Vistas.” Solo show. Colborne Art Gallery. Colborne, ON, 2013. “The Artist Project.” Juried exhibition. Toronto, ON, 2013. “Trees.” Group show. Colborne Art Gallery. Colborne, ON, 2013.
2012	“Untitled.” Solo Show. Campbellford, ON, 2012. “The Artist Project.” Juried exhibition. Toronto, ON, 2012. “Contained.” Group Show. Colborne Art Gallery. Colborne, ON, 2012.
2011	• Make it Indie. Group show and sale. Cobourg, ON. • And All That Jazz. Group show. Port Hope, ON. • Spirit of the Hills Annual Juried Photography Show and Sale. Warkworth, ON.
2010	• Art in Public Spaces. Juried exhibition. Cobourg, ON. • Annual Regional Juried Exhibition. Art Gallery of Northumberland. Cobourg, ON.