Chiswick House Bridge, from Falling Through Time - Available in 2 sizes
Through Falling Through Time, Barbara Cole presents us with an intricate display of past and present. This endeavour began 20 years ago, capturing whimsical English garden scenes with her Polaroid SX-70 film, ultimately storing them until she could fully realize the project. These images would later become the backdrops for her figures who “float between history’s layers with confidence and mystery”. Through this explorative process, Cole’s documentation results in a series truly fantastical in both history and conception.
Barbara Cole is an award-winning Canadian fine art photographer celebrated for her ethereal, painterly imagery and timeless visual language that blur the boundaries between photography, painting, and sculpture. Her distinctive style often featuring submerged figures, flowing fabrics, and soft, diffused light evokes themes of transformation, memory, and the natural world.
Based in Toronto, Cole has built an international reputation through decades of acclaimed work in fine art. Her large-scale installations and commissions include prominent public spaces such as the atrium of the M. Lau Breast Cancer Centre at Princess Margaret Hospital, where her immersive imagery enhances architectural environments with a sense of calm and reflection. Her renowned Underworld series has been exhibited globally, including at Canadian Embassies in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., further solidifying her presence on the international stage.
Cole’s practice has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including the Grand Prize at the Festival International de la Photographie de Mode in Cannes and honors at the International Photography Awards in New York. Her work has also been featured in the documentary series Snapshot: The Art of Photography II, highlighting her unique creative process and influence within the field of contemporary photography.
Collected by major institutions and private collectors worldwide, Barbara Cole’s photographs offer a rare combination of technical mastery and emotional resonance. Each piece invites viewers into a tranquil, otherworldly space.
The artist's archival photographs are mounted to an archival substrate. Please contact the gallery regarding availability. Prices are subject to change as the editions sell out.
