Who is this Rural Rob?

ruralrob is a Canadian artist/photographer living in a rural village 70-80 miles North East of Trauma (Toronto). For many years I have been following his photo journal (blog) at ruralrob. It is really worthwhile following Rob's blog as it is updated daily with photos and prose to enjoy and savor. On April 18, 2005 his blog talked about Rob's lecture to a church on Sunday about AIDS and AIDS Activism and even included the notes used for the lecture which are succint and beautifully written.

I have been following photo blogs for a while and they link to each other ad infinitum which is how I found Rob. I believe I first saw ruralrob's journal referenced in Pacific Northwesterner Ed Book's journal, and have found other photo journals which I follow - i.e. Australian Androkles, Cambridge UKer New Brunette, Cambridge UKer Carolune who also has A photo a day site that has wonderful daily pictures. Once I get off my proverbial duff (and take photos which I like) will have a photo journal too!

ruralrob is a HIV+ Gay man over a half-century old and is a former banker who emigrated to Canada from England over 30 years ago. Rob's background isn't relevant other than it's part of his life and creativity which is manifested in his prose and photos. His verbal descriptions of his personal life and life in Nanookville (his name for his rural village) are as well presented and readable as the photos. And Rob's photos are magnificent showing not only sensibility and tenderness but imagination and surely a result of much labor. OK so I paraphrased Ruskin's definition (previous page), but Rob's photos are truly wonderful. Gee I said that already.

Here are two photos taken in 2005 which I really like and give a small taste of his images. It is impossible for me to display the wide variety that Rob has presented from life in rural Canada (Sunday dinner at Jeannine's Backtalk Cafe and delicious eye-candy views) to City buildings and people and personal life(HIV+ meds, dogs, animals, plants and partner). The nature of the beast (Live Journal) causes Rob's daily photos to disappear after several weeks so if you want to get a feel for Rob's photos and his prose, simply view his page every few days ... or daily.

Hopefully in the future there will be a book of ruralrob's photos or perhaps a ruralrob Website or a yearly DVD. The ruralrob book/DVD has not been announced but there WILL be a book of Nanookville ( "A Year in the Life of Warkworth") that will be published summer 2005 (mid August) and about one third of the photos are by ruralrob. On August 17, 2005 the book was launched in downtown sunny Warkworth. To order the book please go here: http://www.trytel.com/~baxter/warkworthbook/

Page created February 9. 2005 and% last updated August 24, 2005