Human nature compels us to observe and ponder our lives. People pause in moments of reflection yet dont necessarily record nor remember them. In this collection of short essays and black and white photographs, surgeon and award-winning photographer Michael Frimer shares, through words and images, a creative exploration and reflection of knowledge, family career and life itself. In Beyond the Box, Frimer shares with the reader his quest for understanding and engagement with many artistic and intellectual pursuits. Frimers singular lens a dimension of seeing that informs his perspective gives the reader a glimpse into the mind of an extraordinary individual, ultimately encouraging us all to think more deeply.
Michael Frimer was born and raised in Toronto, he attended medical school at the University of Toronto before accepting an internship in general surgery at Vancouver General Hospital, where he became the youngest surgeon in Canada at the time, at age twenty-nine. He continued his surgical practice at Richmond General Hospital. Frimer is an award-winning darkroom and large-format photographer, with an avid curiosity and desire to push the bounds of the expected, often using his images to explore moments captured in time and to observe life as a series of overlapping dimensions that one must look beyond to see lifes bigger picture. He was a proud member of the University of Toronto choir and the Vancouver Cantata Singers. A respected surgeon for over fifty years, Frimer retired from practice in 2018.
"Michael Frimers Beyond the Box is a masterfully told and authentically photographed dialogue on the complexities of life. The images are compelling, the writing flows through the pages and gives us a taste of lifes lessons that we all can appreciate. Frimer is completely engaged in his photographed subjects, seeing the deeper meaning and lessons that are there for us to explore further with him. Beyond the Box will appeal to those looking for a richer purpose in their lives. As Frimer states, I would prefer the gift of a meaningful photograph. And that you have." Karen Cooper, professional landscape photographer, Karen Cooper Gallery, Vancouver, BC