Jane Kidd

Alvar: through a revelatory lens is a collection of photographs taken in November on a limestone plain in Hastings County, Ontario. It documents over a period of seven years the autumnal flourishing of lichens and mosses and the complex, beautiful world they host within them.

Alvars are rare habitats, consisting of a limestone base with little or no soil. They are found only in a few locations worldwide, and are increasingly under threat from climate change and human intervention. In North America, the largest number is located in the Great Lakes Basin, primarily in Ontario, including Hastings and Prince Edward Counties.

An alvar pavement, where these photographs were taken, is the most barren type of alvar. On exposed limestone, scattered mosses, lichens and other species flourish seasonally. Summer’s high heat and drought find the alvar pavement at its most austere. In autumn, rains revitalize the habitat; the mosses and lichens form vigorous small islands dotting the limestone pavement.

Within these rich, transitory islands of life, Jane endeavours to find the most expressive islands of growth. The magnification of the computer screen reveals the complexity of previously unseen details. Revelling in this microworld, she renders their tiny exquisite landscapes in magnified print form.

Jane Kidd is a visual artist residing in Hastings County, Ontario. After studying drawing, painting, printmaking, and art history at the University of Toronto, she spent many enjoyable hours in an analog darkroom at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) exploring photography. Years later, after careers in Arts Administration and Web Design & Development, Jane brings her design and compositional skills to digital photography.

Jane’s work is held in private collections in Canada and the UK. She can be reached at mjanekidd@gmail.com.

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