Visual Art

Abstracting the Familiar: Local photographer aims to disorient viewers

Emily Kinzel, photos by Bruce Warren |

With the New Year, the Volume One Gallery welcomes a new artist. Bruce Warren’s Edifices and Artifacts show opens Jan. 1, running through Feb 24. This compilation of photographs captures the Chippewa Valley through an architectural lens, highlighting symmetry in a black and white theme. Warren’s photos include well-known landmarks such as, bridges, sculptures, and buildings primarily in Eau Claire. The work is detail-oriented, emphasizing lines found in both nature and man-made objects, abstracting familiar artifacts. In a few cases he increased the contrast of the image in the darkroom to give the final print a more ‘graphic’ quality. At other times, Warren completely alters a picture’s orientation and reference points, often only capturing a portion of a structure. His unique eye will make viewers search for the familiar within oddity. Warren began his photographic journey in the 1970s, settling in our Eau Claire community almost a decade later. Warren doubled as a professor and student, teaching at UW-Eau Claire in the sociology department and taking photography classes at UW-Stout. His love of art expanded throughout the years, as his work has been included in many exhibits from the late 80s to now. In 2000, Warren decided to embark as a full-time photographer, creating an extensive portfolio. Warren also served as the chair of the Visual Arts Committee at the Eau Claire Regional Arts Center from 2008 to 2012.

Bruce Warren: Edifices & Artifacts • Every Day from Jan. 12, 2018 to Feb. 24 2018, 9am-9pm • Volume One Gallery inside The Local Store, 205 N. Dewey St., Eau Claire