Out of the Darkness
Limited edition archival pigment prints

60″ x 60″ – editions of 3
40″ x 40″ – editions of 10 + AP
24″ x 24″ – editions of 15 + AP

Cities represented:

Out of the Darkness is a series of commemorative, documentary and aesthetically pleasing works based on how cities heal after a tragedy.  Toronto-based photo artist Thomas Brasch documents international locations that have witnessed acts of violence. He takes photographs of notable architectural landmarks, in order to create iridescent jewel-like photographic abstractions.

This series provides an intelligent way of initiating a discussion on the tragedies of random violence with the use of representational imagery. In this collection, we see beyond the chaos and destruction and find a way to  reconnect with ourselves, with each other and with our living spaces.

Each creation is a manipulation of a single rectangular source image which is captured in the different cities represented.  The image undergoes a transformation through multiple iterations and layering in order to create a dynamic geometry which resonates with our collective humanity.

The circle can be seen as a symbol of wholeness and perfection, or of power, motion and time.  It becomes the basis of the meditative and healing elements derived from  the Buddhist mandalas, Christian Rose windows, and the concentric circles found in Islamic and Judaic spiritual imagery.

Each piece is titled by the city and the date of the event.  It is up to the viewer to discover the connections.

This series made its debut during Contact 2018, in Toronto. Since 2015, he has been developing and refining his technique. His process includes researching incidents and scouting the cities to find an appropriate source image. In the studio, hours are dedicated to editing and manipulating to achieve the final image.

Thomas seeks to donate an Artist Proof of each image to the respective organizations that are creating memorials for these events.

Limited edition archival pigment prints (framed or unframed)
40″ x 40″ – editions of 6
24″ x 24″ – editions of 10

The original series which reflects the natural world around us.  The source images are mostly still life selections. There are a few that are actually landscapes.

Limited edition archival pigment prints (framed or unframed)
40″ x 40″ – editions of 6
24″ x 24″ – editions of 10

Limited edition archival pigment prints (framed or unframed)
40″ x 40″ – editions of 6
24″ x 24″ – editions of 10

This series of carpets from the Middle East were inspired by our friend, Golnar Rasty, who told me to come to her house and photograph her carpets.  She thought that they might work into something when she saw Untitled #15 from the original series.  She is a pathologist.  I am married to one as well.  They have a trained eye for patterns – mostly at the cellular level – but I can see how the tiny microcosms they look at on a daily basis can translate into the environments we live in.

I also had the opportunity to photograph many carpets at the Turco Persian Rug Company, courtesy of  Jessica Kasparian and Dan Buganto who threw their opens to greet my lights and camera.

Through all of this, I learned so much about what I thought were just Persian carpets.  They are not only Persian, but can be Turkish, Uzbekistanian, Afghani, etc.  These carpets are named after their geographical region as well as the common characteristics and materials found within the carpet weavers traditions.  There carpets from Qom, Tabriz, and Isfahan, for instance within the current borders of Iran/Persia.  Many of the tribes were also nomadic and crossed many borders many times.

Perisa 14 which was featured in the Snap 2018 Live Auction and is also the source of a blog post on Medium.com is actually a Turkish Heriz.  The blog is entitled Knots of Life.