Ivan Rupeš

Ivan Rupeš is a Toronto-based photographer. In his work Rupeš examines complexities of the human relationship with the environment. He is especially drawn to probing the nuances and ironies of the ways humans affect their habitat and the ways it affects them back. Rupeš was born in what is now the Czech Republic. He started out as a biomedical researcher whose career brought him first to the USA and then to Canada. Currently, he takes on documentary projects both in Canada and around the world. His work among the indigenous peoples the northern Philippines is being presented at the 2021 Earth Photo Exhibition.

Artist Statement

Rupeš is drawn to scenes which lean towards the mundane and possibly ambiguous. He looks for various traces of humans affected by the environment that has been affected by humans. To paraphrase Garry Winogrand, he’s curious what these traces look like photographed. Now we have a planet to save so the subject matters. In the series "On What's Missing," black-and-white images record Rupeš’ thoroughly unscientific attempts to probe the human ecosystem at its very basic, with an eye on one perennial question: how do we possibly align the tottering mass of our conflicting interests with what at long last ought to be our common goal?

Contact the artist directly for information on purchasing.

Contact:  info@ivanrupes.com  
Website:  http://ivanrupes.com
IG: @ivanrupes

May 18th - June 5th, 2022
Artscape Youngplace, 180 Shaw St, Toronto
Hallway Galleries, 2nd and 3rd floors

Artist Talk and Tour
May 21, 2022
1pm: 3rd floor