Small, local businesses have been hard-hit by measures taken to control this pandemic. Some of these businesses are also great supporters of the arts community. One such business is ZakZ Hair ‘n Lounge, located at 633 Somerset St W in Ottawa. Owner, Margos Zakarian, has been exhibiting the work of local artists in his hair salon for many years. Today, March 1, 2021, he reopens his shop displaying a selection of photographs from a series I shot a few years ago. They are photographs of waves.

To quote myself:

The Wave prints on these walls were first exhibited at Il Primo Ristorante in 2017. The photos were taken during a summer vacation in 2016, while staying in a cottage on a small island on Bras d’Or Lake, Cape Breton Island.

Walking the beaches and listening to the waves led to sitting on the beaches and watching the waves. Watching the waves led to being absorbed by their rhythms, surface textures and internal structures. Drawn into the constant churning of form and floating elements, one could see how permanent structures, like rocks, affected the shape of the moving water. Considering what these waves, varied in shape and reaction, might have been bringing into the shore led to thinking about water in general; what we are putting into it, and how we are changing it.

These photos were taken while lying on my belly on the beach, trying to look inside – and sometimes at the surface – of water on the move.

Additional prints on display are from places that hold some significance in my life. This usually means they are places where I spend a fair amount of time. They might be worksites or quiet getaway spots.

I’d like to thank Margos for the opportunity to share these images with his clientele.