Jim Banks
Jim Banks has been photographing the landscape in black and white for more than three decades. Born and raised in Colorado and now based in Northern California, he sees the natural landscape as a subject still worthy of photographic exploration.
His work focusses on the landscapes of California and the American West. While landscape subjects of all varieties interest him, he is best known for his ongoing project, Oceano Revisited, an exploration of the California dunes famously photographed by Edward Weston, Brett Weston, Ansel Adams and others.
His prints have been exhibited in group shows at a variety of galleries and museums throughout the US. He is represented by the Scott Nichols Gallery, San Francisco.
“As I viewed his prints for the first time, it became clear he was a devoted craftsman inspired by the tradition of f.64 greats, but what made his work unique was that his fascination for the landscape became so palpable that each image transformed into a love letter to the California and greater southwestern landscape.” –Susan Burnstine, Black + White Photography Magazine (UK), Issue #18
Artist’s Statement
The power, mystery and perfection of the landscape intrigue me, and it is those qualities that I seek to unveil and express in my photographs.
I have had a lifelong fascination with the landscape, and have been making photographs of the land for over 30 years. The landscape is an infinite subject, and there are still new images to be made.