-by John Gillis
Some might call it graffiti but photographer Gabriel MacIsaac sees the art and expression of humanity in the images on the rail cars he documents with his camera.
The images are mysterious, often created by anonymous taggers or graffiti artists, gang members or street people.
Gabriel has captured some pretty captivating images, many of them probably created in the urban environments of New York or Chicago where the rail cars sometimes sit for periods of time.
Gabriel, an Inverness County native, has had a long time love affair with photography since he purchased his first Leica camera at the age of 19 and spent time visiting the legendary art galleries and museums in New York where he once lived.
There’s been a long-term interest in the rail industry in Gabriel’s family too. His father worked on the railway since the age of 14 so in some ways he followed in those footsteps.
Gabriel has taken several hundred photos of some of the most interesting rail cars he’s seen in his recent years working as a rail car inspector at Port Hawkesbury Paper. He checks the condition of the rail cars prior to making paper shipments.
Gabriel says he loves the people he meets working around the railway.
“There’s a tremendous love for the railway in this area and there’s a long history associated with it. One guy told me that even now people flick their lights at the rail cars passing by and children still come out of their homes and wave at the passing rail cars,” Gabriel says.
Gabriel has befriended photographers in the area and he’s had numerous images printed on canvas.
“This photography project isn’t about the money. It’s about the beauty I’ve seen here and the stories suggested here. I’m hoping to share some of that. I’m putting many of the photos up on my website and I hope to exhibit many of the prints on canvas in the near future,” Gabriel told The Oran recently.
You can visit his website at gabemacisaac.photoshelter.com.
