We talked to Susan Lapides about her project Ebb and Flow documenting the Bay of Fundy’s and ecosystem. The project captures the region’s unpredictable tidal changes with great force and beauty, offering a unique look to the lives of the peoples living with the ebb and flow of the tides. Currently on view at our annual public outdoor exhibition, Vision(ary).
Instagram: @susanlapides
Website: www.susanlapides.com
An interview with the artist follows.
Project Statement
St. George: Ebb & Flow is my tribute to the residents of a rural community on the Bay of Fundy, home to the highest tides in the world. I return each summer to this place I love, curious about what’s changed. As a fine art photographer with skills learned as a professional editorial photographer, I was inspired to document this moment in time—especially the transitions in the age-old fishing industries as they rapidly reinvent themselves to keep pace with climate change and global demands. Each year I return with a fresh perspective, seeking to find intimate moments that feel iconic to the maritime experience: the deep connection to the natural world, the rhythm of the tides, and the mesmerizing, shifting beauty. This project evolved to create an in-depth feeling of the human presence in New Brunswick, Canada. Many thanks to the community for opening their doors and sharing their stories.
Please describe your photographic process, your editing process, and what type of gear you carried around with you the most during this project.
“Evening Walk” and Granite Town are a few of the earliest photographs in this series, captured in 2006 and 2007 using a Mamiya 645 camera. Shortly thereafter, due to the challenges of accessing film and processing in New Brunswick, I transitioned to digital photography. Different 35mm cameras as the technology improves, using a 24-70mm zoom lens, alongside a long zoom lens that remains in my bag 98% of the time.
Due to the constant shift of the tides, the water remains at 50 degrees even in mid-summer, distinguishing this area from typical beach communities. Boating here demands a keen awareness of tides and currents.
What particularly about the maritime environment do you find the most intimate?
The term ‘Maritimes,’ used to describe Canada’s eastern provinces, conjures images of water and nature. The Bay of Fundy, with its expansive skies and mesmerizing play of light and color, never fails to captivate me. The constant movement of its 26-foot tides, ebbing and flowing every 6 hours, reveals the ocean floor and then blankets the beach anew. In St. George, residents deeply appreciate this natural beauty while also respecting its power: the tides are formidable, the currents unpredictable, and the coastal ledges pose hazards.
While working on this project, how did you develop the connection you have now with both the residents of the community and the environment?
St. George, New Brunswick, Canada, is a small town where everyone knows each other, often connected through distant relations. When my family arrived 20 years ago, we were outsiders, but the community welcomed us warmly. Making friends and connections happened organically through the tight-knit community.
How do you think that your work/photos impacted the community and how did it help you grow as an artist?
This photographic body of work is the result of listening to the community’s stories about the changes they’ve experienced. I aimed to create a lasting document that preserves the collective memory of the people and industries of St. George and New Brunswick. My goal was to produce a document that residents will cherish and share as they pass down their stories to future generations.
I am deeply honored and thrilled that this summer, 2024, John Leroux, manager of collections and exhibitions at Beaverbrook Art Gallery, is exhibiting this work. And in collaboration with Goose Lane Editions, they will be publishing ‘St. George: Ebb &Flow’ this summer.
Out of the photos of this series, which one photo resonates the most with you and your personal experience and why?
Evening Walk — A front swept through, pushing a bank of clouds across the bay with strong gusts. Peter and our daughter, who was outside playing lacrosse, hurried up onto the point, with Daisy bounding alongside them. I grabbed my Mamiya, but realizing I couldn’t catch up, I stopped in the field above and captured just one frame. Then I stood looking upward watching the storm race onward.
Salmon Factor — Madonna is my nickname for this photo. For this project, I aimed to document the fishing industry, both on the water and in the factories. I particularly cherish the moment captured of the woman laughing on the left side of the frame, perhaps reacting to the photographer’s presence. Another woman, with her head tilted and covered in a green hoodie, appears almost biblical in her contemplation. Deep in thought, she seems unaware of my presence, diligently trimming each fillet as it moves down the conveyor belt.
Floating — For many of us, scuba diving is a recreational sport, but diving to install and repair salmon cages or herring weirs or the underside of ship hulls requires an industry that meets the demands of working divers. It’s inherently risky work. In this photograph, Warrick is taking a moment to relax after removing his tank, weight belt, and mask.
About the artist
Susan Lapides is an American photographic artist renowned for her exploration of community dynamics and sense of place through time-based projects. Through her portraits and landscapes, Lapides delves into social, cultural, and community dynamics. A graduate of Tufts University/School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Lapides embarked on a distinguished career as an editorial photographer on assignment for esteemed publications such as Smithsonian, Life, Time, Forbes, The New York Times, and People. She has received awards from the American Society of Media Photographers and has photographed notable figures including President Barack Obama. After 30 years, she transitioned from a career as a documentary photographer to emerge as a fine art photographer.
Lapides has held solo exhibitions at venues such as Sunbury Shores and Beaverbrook Art Gallery in New Brunswick, Canada, and the Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester, Massachusetts. Her work has been featured in group exhibitions at Foley Gallery in New York City, the Newport Art Museum, Brand Library and Art Center in Los Angeles, CA, and Oceanside Museum in San Diego, CA. Lapides’ photographs are housed in numerous private and public collections.
Currently residing in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Lapides splits her time between her urban base and the coastal community of St. George, New Brunswick, where she finds inspiration for her ongoing artistic endeavors.
