Rita Leistner: The Tree Planters
Event Details
The Tree Planters is a striking photographic series by award-winning Canadian photographer Rita Leistner. Through large-scale, painterly portraits captured in real-time, Leistner documents the gruelling and heroic labour of professional
Event Details
The Tree Planters is a striking photographic series by award-winning Canadian photographer Rita Leistner. Through large-scale, painterly portraits captured in real-time, Leistner documents the gruelling and heroic labour of professional tree planters in British Columbia. Her work explores themes of human endurance, environmental stewardship, and Canada’s evolving relationship with its forests.
Between 2016 and 2019, Leistner embedded herself off-grid with planting crews, living for months at a time in remote camps. Immersed in the physically demanding world of seasonal tree planting, she documented workers as they planted thousands of saplings each day across the rugged, clear-cut terrain. Her photographs reveal both the intensity of the labour and the resilience of the planters, transforming them into luminous, almost mythic figures.
Using dramatic lighting and dynamic compositions, Leistner elevates scenes of physical toil into compelling visual tributes—portraits that highlight the planters’ deep, often spiritual connection to the land. Having planted more than half a million trees herself, Leistner brings a rare, firsthand understanding and deep reverence to her subject.
The Tree Planters stands as a tribute to the generations of Canadians who have reshaped the nation’s geography and contributed to its cultural identity—one tree at a time.
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Time
July 5, 2025 - January 5, 2026 (All Day)(GMT+00:00)
Location
McMichael Canadian Art Collection
10365 Islington Avenue, Kleinburg