Dermot O'Kane Gallery

Stepping into the newly opened Dermot O’Kane Gallery on Queen Street, the first reaction for most visitors is “Wow!”  This beautiful new gallery showcases Dermot’s large-scale panoramic photography, featuring fine art landscape images from Canada and around the world.  At first glance many people think the images are backlit.  They are not though - they are printed on a special silver-halide photographic paper which, when lit properly, creates this luminous effect.  The result is very impressive and has quite an impact on viewers.  Coupled with the breathtaking subject matter – mountains, prairies, forests, coasts and more - it leads to a truly stunning result.

To create these works of art Dermot uses a fully manual medium-format film camera.  It has no electronic parts and requires no batteries.  A separate light-meter is used to measure the exposure. The camera’s controls consist of adjusting focus, aperture, and shutter speed.  Simple – the way Dermot likes it.  It uses film that is 6 x 17 centimeters in dimensions – so large that a roll of film contains only 4 shots.  But this means that the images can be printed very large without losing any detail or resolution.  It also leads to a slower, more methodical approach.  Every shot counts and must be approached with more thought.  This is certainly evident in the results seen in the gallery, where a serene, almost philosophical mood can be felt in some of the images.

Originally from Dublin, Ireland, Dermot began his photographic career in Calgary, Alberta where he lived with Kerri, his Canadian wife.  He exhibited in several galleries and took part in the biggest art shows in Western Canada in cities such as Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver and was a regular exhibitor at the prestigious Calgary Stampede Western Art Show.  However when it came time to find a location for his own gallery they moved across the country to be here in Niagara Falls.

In Dermot’s own words –
“Niagara Falls is not only one of the most famous places in Canada, but one of the most famous in the whole world.  Sometimes it takes an outsider to see it, but the potential for the emerging Arts & Culture district on Queen Street is immense.  In fact it’s more than potential – it’s becoming a reality.”

So far, reaction to the gallery has been great and Dermot is delighted to be a part of the Queen Street scene.  He also continues to take part in art shows, including the recent One Of A Kind spring show in Toronto.

In April Dermot was honoured by the Professional Photographers of Ontario with the Kodak Gallery Award for Photographic Excellence.  This was awarded for his image entitled “Peggy’s Cove”, which can of course be viewed in the gallery at 4525 Queen Street.  Dermot would love to see you there!