Photo of the Week 2014-05-19

Finding Inspiriation: A day-trip this weekend, to Toronto, the AGO and Contact Photography Festival, left me with more questions than answers.

The Contact Photography Festival runs through the month of May each year, spread over much of Toronto at a wide variety of sites. I have made the trek a few of times in recent years and it always involves a lot of walking and searching to find the exhibits. 

This year, Alan, Patrick and I decided to throw in a stop at the AGO to see the Bacon-Moore exhibit and it's a good thing we did. The short story is that I have drawn more of my inspiration from the work of other photographers than from artists in other media. The Contact exhibits that we visited, did very little to inspire me. They served more to show me where I did not want my photographic journey to lead. Some of the work presented was no better than random snapshots that feign artistic vision. Artists / photographers are free to create what they want, to each, their own. But what I saw of this year's Contact was out of touch, a big disappointment in my eyes.

Thankfully there was the time at the AGO. I'm still pondering my first exposure to the work of Bacon and Moore. It was the work by Canadian artist Evan Penny in the "art as therapy" exhibit that caught my eye, and in particular when I read what was written about the work ...

Stretch #1 - by Evan Penny

"He Could be anyone. It is a portrait of the normal anxiety of adult life - the daily background stress around money (among other things), of how it feels  having to compete year after year to keep your head above water ..."

DJE

Photo of the Week 2013-04-22

This weekend past, a few of us from the the Guelph Photographers Guild decided to make the trek to the AGO. I have never formally studied art or seriously tried to paint, sculpt or sketch, though I do marvel at the skill and talent it requires. Photography is my medium of choice.

I'm not really sure what I was expected from the outing photographically other than some time with others who enjoy shooting in different locations, views of an interesting building and some inspiration from the artwork of others. The Patti Smith, Camera Solo photography exhibit was on display so it was on my list of things to see. I've also seen many photos of the AGO building, including the unique curving staircases so I wanted to see if I could make some images illustrating it's shape and form.

I also took some time to study and make some images of Rodin's sculptures, The Thinker and Adam as well as paintings by the likes of Rubens. Others may know the background on how the AGO came into possession of Massacre of the Innocents but for me, this trip was educational. Sitting in a room, virtually dedicated to one piece of art, albeit a very valuable piece of art, was a different experience, one that I think will have me returning to help open up my creative side.

      "Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely."  Auguste Rodin

I found that photographing the work on display was not working for me so I went on to make images of the inside and exhibition spaces of the AGO building itself. Looking back through everything I had captured for an image to post as this week's photo has been a challenge. I was distinctly underwhelmed by the images I had created during the outing. Eventually I settled on this ... a bit abstract, a bit impressionistic and surrealistic ... I dunno, but it caught my eye.

Gateway

 DJE