An exhibition that both relishes and wonders about photography makes a Vancouver February SO much easier to endure. THE PHOTISM PHENOMENON by Harald Gravelsins If you can stomach lyrical and luscious photogra- phy, then you are in for a treat. Photism: New Camera Work is an exhibition of photo-based creativity that runs from February 14 - 22 at the Concourse Gallery in Granville Island’s Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. It’s a show consisting of two score and more works by emerging artists and designers. Why the warning about lyricism and beauty? It’s because a number of folks like their photography bleached with a heavy dose of theorized banality. Each year the Church of Binary Opposition seems to attract new converts to the view that catastrophic moral danger lies at the heart of beau- ty. It’s not exactly the kind of attitude needed to enliven the damp, dark evenings of a February in Vancouver. Photism largely consists of work by unregenerate lovers of the versatile medium of photography and the many kinds of beauty it can achieve. For these people the sky will be no closer to falling and capitalism will not be any further from its (theorized) collapse simply because the Concourse Gallery happens to be filled with Photism’s raptures. For an understanding of Photism’s preference for imagination over ideology, we probably don’t have to look any further than the circumstances surrounding the birth of the Photism initiative. Photisrn was conceived in the context of the Institute’s studio 241 being cleared in order to make way for scholarship judging. Normally the studio is a jungle of light- ing booms, reflectors, and other ritual gear used to shape and direct light onto photographic materials. The person hired to bundle together a cascade of work conjured up by more than twenty photographic imaginations was Carlos Mendes. The goal of his assigned task was to construct all this work into a pageant of aspiring photographic excellence for the sake of a handful of scholarship judges. Thumbs up from the judges to any particular work would mean free tuition for its creator the following year. It was a Friday afternoon, the last day of class before spring break. The distinct odour of hope and anticipa- tion wafted across the hall from studio 241 to Planet of the Arts, the Institute’s student publication (since renamed Influx and relocated across from the Printmaking Department). Picking up the trail as an intrepid reporter, I remember open- ing the doors of 241 and looking into what seemed like a ban- quet hall. It was filled with enough entrees and side dishes for a hearty visual appetite to relish for hours if not days. Shrill oranges and gleaming cyans vied with oozing magentas and pulsating reds. Narratives found themselves next to formal studies. There was back-lit and full frontal. Bigness displayed itself as if size very much mattered. Tininess made an eloquent case for small being beautiful. Black-and- whites sat a few centimetres and a whole philosophy apart from full-colour panels. When I entered 241 Carlos was installing his own scholarship entry. It was a series of five light boxes illuminat- Concourse Gallery Schedule Feb 04 - 12 Conception Feb 14 - 22 Photism: New Camera Work Feb 24 - 04 Industrial Design Show 14 Printmaking and Book Arts Mar 06 Mar 16 Mar 23 Apr 0| Apr 05 Apr 19 21 Grad Art Auction 30 Ceramics and Furniture Exhibition 03 VIVA Awards Exhibition 16 San Francisco Art Institute Exchange 02Foundation Students Show ing images and text related to a recent visit to Portugal, where he spent time get- ting to know his grandfather on what might have been the last time the two meet. Carlos was wearing his white lab coat and about five days of facial hair. The lab coat advertised that he was on call as a Photo Department monitor - available to respond to his colleagues’ latest equip- ment failures, personal failings, or combi- nation of the two. The beard meant he was deferring non-essential tasks until scholarship judging was over and done with. He was down to the last four of two dozen scholarship entries to install, an enterprise which, fittingly, he carried out using a pair of white conductor’s gloves. “Can’t all this stuff stay up for a few days, if not longer, so students get to see it?”, I asked Carlos, upon find- ing out from him that this feast of tonalities, textures, and techniques was to be kept behind locked doors and then dis- mantled without a trace in 48 hours. For all the power vested in his amazing, monochromatic lab coat, I knew I was asking for the next-to-impossible. Getting institutional trajectories altered, even at a place dedicated to imagination and possibil- ity such as Emily Carr Institute, can be like trying to realign tectonic plates beneath an ocean of indifference, routine, and pessimism. “Tt’s a shame, isn’t it.” Carlos responded. “All this great work, and practically no one gets to see it.” One way to handle the morass into which so many imaginative ideas disappear is to throw out scheme after scheme in rapid succession until something manages to stay above the murky surface of doubt and disbelief. This was the turn I pursued in my conversation with Carlos about the pho- tographic work surrounding us in studio 241. “Tt can be a Photo Department social event. There’s money in the Students’ Union budget for that sort of thing. Maybe it could coincide with celebrating Bill Cupit’s birthday. It could take place annually. Or even twice a year. Who else in the department has a birthday they would want to celebrate in the photo studio? We can invite alumni. Maybe an instructor would be willing to present and talk about his or her own recent work. Do you think Jim Breukelman would be willing to do that? Marian (Penner Bancroft) just gave a noon hour talk and Sandra (Semchuk) just had a show at Presentation House. What about getting Chris Czartoryski to talk about his own ‘ideas and aesthetics’? Professional photog- raphers might be interested in showing up if they were invit- ed. Randy (Bradley) must have a bunch of contacts in indus- try. Imagine what kind of dialogue would go on between all these different people!” Yup. Just imagine! After I tossed out all these permutations and com- binations, Carlos replied, “I think this work would make a good Concourse Gallery show. It should be exhibited there later this semester.” Pausing a little, he went on to add, “Of course it all depends on whether people are willing to bring back their work, which they should be willing to do.” Should - yes. But what about the institutional obstacles no student and no philosophy dreams of? Like the seemingly ultra-byzantine system for booking the Concourse Gallery. And the jack-hammer brigade that swooped out of nowhere and seized control of the Concourse Gallery from May until November last year to carry out a million dollars of unannounced renovations. Two months ago the Photism proposal received the go- ahead to occupy the Concourse Gallery for a 10-day period. A num- Photograph by Alicia Fennell ber of important changes have accompanied the relocation of the Photism project idea from its inception in 241 to its set- ting downstairs in the Concourse. One change is the opening up of the project into a non-juried exhibition of photo-based creativity rather than its being a Photography Department Scholarship Show. Writing 19 days from the show’s start date, Photism’s organizers are still wrestling with the implications of this inclusivity. For example, how are the Institute’s Design students - second only to Emily Carr’s Photography majors in producing photo- based work - to be represented in Photism and integrated into its planning processes? The breadth of participation - all divisions of the Institute are included with the regrettable exception of con- tinuing education students - is expected to contribute sub- stantially to the questioning of photographic practices, a key objective of Photism. Intensive work is under way to devise ways of con- figuring the Concourse into a venue that is effective in engag- ing members of the public to enjoy the work in the exhibition and to spend enough time with it to question its creators’ purposes. A lot of work will be exhibited and much of the success of the show rides upon how it is assembled. Concurrent initiatives to extend and enrich the physical exhibition space of Photism are the construction of an internet web site, the preparation of a special feature arti- cle in an upcoming issue of Influx, and the engagement of guest speakers to address the show’s gala reception. The reception is slated for Wednesday, February 17th beginning at 7 PM. Regular viewing hours are until 6 PM daily, and there is no charge for admission. Granville Island allows 3 hours of free parking during the day and unlimited free parking after 6 PM. The Concourse Gallery is located between Ocean Concrete’s silos and the Granville Island Hotel, the juste (et voluptueux) milieu between the proletarian and the bour- geois, good and evil - accommodating all categories but servile to none. Which might help explain why some people allege that beauty is a dangerous place. Narratives, formal studies, back-lit, full-frontal, big- ness displayed as if size very much matters ... it’s all there. influx - Magazine February 1999 5 An exhibition that both relishes and wonders about photography makes a Vancouver February so much easier to endure. THE PHOTISM PHENOMENON by Harald Gravelsins Ifyou can stomach lyrical and luscious photogra- ing images and text related 16a recent ply, then you are in fora teat. Photism: New Camera Work vst to Portugal, where he spent time ge fs an exhibition of photo-based creativity that runs from, ting to know his grandfather on what February 14 - 22 at the Concourse Gallery in G might have been the last ime the so Island’s Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. I’sa show met, Carlos was weating his white lab consisting of two score and more works by emerping artists coat and about five days of facial hair.The tnd designers Tab coat advertised that he was on call as Why the waming about fyricism and beauty? I’s a Photo Department monitor - available ‘because @ number of folks like thee photography bleached to respond to his colleagues latest equip with a heavy dose of theorized banality: Each year the Church ment failures, personal failings, or combi ‘of Binary Opposition seems to attract new converts fo the nation of the two, The beard meant he view that catastrophic moral danger lies atthe heat of beau- was deferring non-essential tasks until iy ts not exactly the Kind of attitude needed to enliven the scholarship judging was over and done damp, dark evenings of a February in Vancouver ‘with, He vas down to the last four of wo Pots agly consis of work by unregenerte dozen scholarship entre tonal sn lovers af the versatile medium of photography and the many enterprise which, tingly, he carried out using a pair of white be of important changss have accompanied the relocation of Kinds of beauty can achieve. For these people the sy sil conductors lows tos Pee pe ed eo ears ‘be no closer to falling and capitalism will not be any further “Can't all this stuff stay up for a few days, if not i ze ‘One change is the opening up ofthe project into a ‘non-juried exhibition of photo-based creativity eather than its being a Photography Department Scholarship Show. Writing 19 days from the show's start date, Photism’s organizers are sul wrestling withthe implications of ths inclusivity. For ‘example, how ae the Institute's Design students - second ‘only to Emily Carr's Photography majors in producing photo based work - tobe represented in Photsm and integrated into its planning processes? ‘The breadth of participation - all divisions ofthe Institute are included with the regrettable exception of con- ‘inuing education students -is expected to contribute sub- stantially to the questioning of photographic practices, a key ‘objective of Photism, Tntensive work is under way to devise ways of con- figuring the Concourse into a venue that i effective in engag- ing members of the public to enjoy the work in the exhibition and to spend enough time with to question its creators purposes. lot of work willbe exhibited and much ofthe Success of the show rides upon how its assembled ‘Concurrent initiatives to extend and enrich the physical exhibition space of Photism are the construction of fn internet eb ste the preparation ofa special feature arti- Cle in an upcoming issue of Influx, and the engagement of truest speakers to address the shows gla reception. "The reception is slated for Wednesday, February th beginning at 7 PM. Regular viewing hours are until 6 1 daly, and there is no charge for admission. Granville and allows 3 hours offre parking during the day and unlimited free parking after 6 PM. The Concourse Gallery is located between Ocean nerete's silos and the Granville Island Hote, the juste (et voluprueux) milieu beween the proletarian and the bour- soi, good and evil - accommodating all categories but servile to none. Which might help explain why some people allege that beauy is a dangerous place. ffomits (eorzed) collec simply Because the Concourse Tonge tadens get to tee H”, sted Caos opon fnd- Gallery happens tobe filed with Photsns rprurs {ng ut from him that this feat of tonaliis, eure, and ran understanding of Phot’ preference for teciques was to be Kept behind locked doors and then dis- Imagination over clogs, we probably don't ave to ook any mantle without ace in 48 hours, For all the power vested flrtberthan the Greunsinces surrounding te bith of in his amazing, monochromatic lab cony {knew {as osing Phot inate forte nextto-impossbe, Geting institutional scctories hots was conceived inthe content ofthe altered, cven at place dedeted to imagination and possi Tasca’ sudo 241 being cleared in order to rake way for. ity sorb ot Eraly Car instate, ca be keying to alin scholarship judging. Normally the studio wa jungle of ight tectonic plates Beneath an ocean of indiference, rowing, and ing booms, reflectors, and other itl gear used fo shape and pessimism, dltee ight onto photographic materials The person hired to “a shame, isn't” Carlos responded, “Al this bound togsther a cascade of work conired up by more than great work, and practically no one gets to see” twenty photographic imaginations was Carlos Mendes. The ‘One way to Handle the morse ino which so many fal offs asgned task wa to coostruct allthis work nto a intaginate ideas appears to throw out heme afer Passat ofaspicng photographic crclence forthe sake of scheme in pid suceetion unl something anages ay Tandfil of scolartip judges Thumbs up from the judges to above the murky surface of doubt and disbele. This was the fy particular work would mean fre run forts crestor the tun I pursued in my conversion with Carlos about the pho- following year tographic work surrounding usin studio Te was a Friday afternoon the last day of clase it canbe a Photo Department social event. before spring break The disint odour of hope and antcipa- There's money inthe Student Union budget for tha sor of tion wate! across the all fom studio 241 to Planet ofthe thing. Maybe it could coincide with celebrating Bl Cop, Art the Insite’ student piston (ince renamed Inux birthday. Ie could take place annual: Or even wie a ear. fi relocated across fom the Printmaking Deparment). Who ce inthe department has a birthday they would want Pking up the tall san itepid reporter, I remember Opew- 1 celebrate in the photo stud? We can invite lumni, Maybe ing the doors of 241 and ooking tno what seomed ikea ban- an instructor Would be wiling fo prevent and tlk about is or et all Twas filled with enough enres and side dishes for her own recent work, Do you think in Breukslman would be ‘hearty wisal appetite to rel for hours nt day. sling todo ta Marian (Penner Bancro) just pve a n000, Tour talkand Sandia (Semehul) joa had a shows Stil ranges and gleaming cyans vied wit oozing Presentation House: What abou geting Chris Czatoryski to sagen and palating reds, Narative found themscles alk about his own ideas and aeshctis’?Prfesional photog- ‘ent formal sues. There was backlit and ful fonal___raphers might be interested in showing up if they were ivi Bignes opliyed faci sf se very noch mattered. Tiioest > ed Rand (Brady) most hafe a bunch oCcontac ai rade an eloquent case for small being beaut Blck-and Imagine what kindof dialogue would g0 08 between all tite sata few centimetres and a whol philosophy apart these diferent people fom fall-colour panes op lest agin ‘When {entered 241 Carls was nstaling his on Afr I tossed out ll thexe permutations and com- scholaihip ety. war 4 series of fie ight boxer kiminat- batons Carlos repliedy“I think this work would make a good Concourse Gallery sow: I 4 Should beeshibited chee rer tis Narratives, formal studies, Concourse Gallery Schedule Semester.” Pausing a litle, he went on to add, “Ofcourse it all depends on cether people are willing to bring backlit, full-frontal, big- Feb 04 [2 Conception ier whch shh Feb 14 - 22 Photism: New Camera Work Fe. ame ph ey ness displayed as if size Feb 24 - 04 Industrial Design Show ruses cg dee Mar 06 - 14 Printmaking and Book Arts praia bscn ou concind very much matters ... it’s Mar 16 - 21 Grad Art Auction feta tate athe Mar 23 - 30 Ceramics and Furniture Exhibition Js! sono! ofthe Concouse all there. Apr 01 - 03 VIVA Awards Exhibition ea ees cory hors winianis Apr 05 - 16 San Francisco Art Institute Exchange Two months ago the Apr 19 - 02Foundation Students Show eeerorane leenves tbe 2; ahead to occupy the Concourse Gallery for a 10-day period. A num influx: Magazine February 1999 5