Posts Tagged ‘photography’

nuns and weddings…

Posted: June 15, 2025 in galleries
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… and a few things more from TMU Image Centre exhibits.

First, the main gallery of the Image Centre is showing a collection of the work of Clara Gutsche, winner of the 2024 ScotiabankCONTACT Photography award.  One of her series features photos of Quebec nuns, “The Convent Series”, taken before 1999.   Hence “nuns” in my title –   The “weddings” in the title comes from another exhibit here – a collection of portraits of brides and grooms over the years.

a woman looks at framed photographs on a gallery wall, TMU Image Centre gallery, Clara Gutsche show

black and white photo from convent series by clara gutsche, nun with painting, on display at TMU Image Centre

framed black and white photo from convent series by clara gutsche, nuns in black and white habits lined up in a hallway

framed black and white photo from convent series by clara gutsche, nuns outside hitting tennis balls with tennis racquets, against a wall

framed colour photo from convent series by clara gutsche, nuns in red playing croquet outside

There are other series of her work also on view including some taken inside a Catholic high school.

4 framedcolour photos on a gallery wall, all are interior shots of a catholic high school

girls sitting at desks in a school by clara gutsche

This is only a small sample of Gutsche’s work.  You can see more at the Image Centre until 2nd August 2025 – The originals look better than my copies!!

 

Let’s move on to the happy couples….

“Something Old; Something New – The Wedding Photography Collection of Stephen Bulger and Catherine Lash” is  the full title of the exhibit.  The title says it all.  The exhibit gives a glimpse into the history of photography and the techniques used to produce images.  It also takes a look at a sliver of social history… especially with respect to clothing styles.  All the photos were donated to the Image Centre by Bulger and Lash in 2023.

photo of a wedding party, from Something Old Something New, a collection of wedding photos over the years, collected by Stephen Bulger and Catherine Lash, and then donated to the TMU Image Centre

photo by Karl Speiss, 1855, black and white, of a bride and groom, from Something Old Something New, a collection of wedding photos over the years, collected by Stephen Bulger and Catherine Lash, and then donated to the TMU Image Centre

portrait of bride and groom in a fancy oval frame, from Something Old Something New, a collection of wedding photos over the years, collected by Stephen Bulger and Catherine Lash, and then donated to the TMU Image Centre

bride and groom portrait, old, on red carpet, man with top hat,

on a gallery wall, image of bride and groom, from Something Old Something New, a collection of wedding photos over the years, collected by Stephen Bulger and Catherine Lash, and then donated to the TMU Image Centre

from Something Old Something New, a collection of wedding photos over the years, collected by Stephen Bulger and Catherine Lash, and then donated to the TMU Image Centre

bride and groom, bride with head covering typical of roaring 20's

below: “Meilleurs Vaux pour votre Bonheur”, 5th of Jan, 1910

French postcard made with image of bride and groom portrait, Meilleurs Vaux pour votre Bonhour, 1910, with green 5 cent stamp

from Something Old Something New, a collection of wedding photos over the years, collected by Stephen Bulger and Catherine Lash, and then donated to the TMU Image Centre

from Something Old Something New, a collection of wedding photos over the years, collected by Stephen Bulger and Catherine Lash, and then donated to the TMU Image Centre. Groom in a top hat, bride in a white coat with many small buttons, and a high collar

Unfortunately the exhibit has ended.

 

domes and circles in the park

Posted: May 16, 2025 in events, galleries, locations
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From now until early September, there are two outdoor art installations at the Aga Khan Museum.  First, “Muqarnas, Form and Light” is a photography exhibit in Aga Khan Park that showcases the images of muqarnas taken by Glenn McArthur.

aga khan museum building, from the park

Muqarnas are three dimensional details found in Islamic architecture especially in mosques and madrassas (schools).  They are usually found incorporated into the top of vaulted structures such as domes and doorways. Often they look like honeycombs.  They can be made of many different materials such as stone, stucco, and plaster.

below: From the Abd Al-Aziz Khan Madrassa in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, is this painted plaster muqarna.  The blue and gold representing the sky is at the top.

muqarna in madrassa in bukhara uzbekistan, photo in an exhibit in Aga khan park, by Glenn McArthur

below: And a closer look at the painted details.  It was originally built in 1652 and then restored in 1993.

closer detail of part of muqarna in madrassa in bukhara uzbekistan, photo in an exhibit in Aga khan park, by Glenn McArthur

below: A carved stone muqarna covers a portal in the Al Rifa-i Mosque in Cairo, Egypt, built in 1912.

large photo on display in Aga Khan Park,
person sitting on bench and reading, park,

below: Decorated in dark blues and gold, this muqarna is found in the funerary complex commission by Çoban Mustafa Pasa, the vizier and son-in-law of Ottoman Sultan Selim 1 who reigned 1512 to 1520.  It is in Gebze Turkey.

below: Stucco muqarnas arches in the Court of the Lions at Alhambra Palace, Grenada Spain, late 14th century.

one of the images in form and light, an art installation by Glenn mcArthur

below: Close up look at part of a wooden muqarna from the Cappella Palantina (Palatine Chapel) in Palermo, Sicily (Italy). Although it was commissioned by a Christian monarch, Roger II of Sicily (reigned 1130-1154), it includes Byzantine and Islamic elements. Roger II was also a Norman but during his reign Sicily was very multicultural.  It is a rare example of a muqarna in a non-Islamic building and is the oldest surviving wood muqarna.

close up of part of a ceiling,

More of McArthur’s muqarna images can be seen on his Instagram page – mcmuqarnas

pink and white blossoms on weeping cherry tree, Aga Khan park

Also outside, but on the other side of the museum is another art installation.

Tracey-Mae Chambers, art installation at Aga Khan museum, outdoors, crochet and knit circles connected together to make a larger circle.

This one is the work of Tracey-May Chambers and it is constructed with red wool, silk, and cotton yarn. It consists of a circle made of connected knit and crocheted circles and within that circle there is a butterfly waiting to emerge.

It is one of 100 installations that Chambers is doing across the country for Hope And Healing Canada.  The red yard connects the elements and is a reminder that we are all connected too.

Both the “Light and Form” exhibit and Chambers’ crochet installation will remain until 7 September 2025.

reflecting pool in front of Islamic Center, by aga Khan Museum, small trees, clouds,

Toronto city street sign for Wynford Drive, includes Aga Khan Blvd as well

Phase in my Journey

Posted: May 14, 2025 in events, galleries
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“Phase in my Journey” is the title of an exhibit of the wonderful black and white photography of Walter Borchenko.   The photos span 20 years of his craft including his work with filters, with infrared photography, and with minimal digital manipulation.

below: Grassy Brook, Talbot River Road, Kawartha Lakes Ontario

below: Look Left cross walk, Birmingham England

the words look left in capital letters on the pavement by a crossing, warnings to pedestrians crossing the road

below: Wet tables, Las Ramblas, Barcelona

outdoors, lots of small tables and chairs, in the rain, wet, Barcelona, photo by Walter Borchenko

below:  One of the reflecting pools at the Aga Khan Museum.

large, 66 inches by 40 inches, black and white photo by Walter Borchenko, of one of the reflecting pools at Aga Khan museum in Toronto

below: On the left, Leather Jacket, New York City.   On the right, an intentionally out of focus city scene – a little disorienting, full of motion and uncertainty.

black and white photo by Walter Borchenko, exhibit is at Japanese Canadian cultural center and is part of Contact Photography Festival,

All of the images are printed on hand-made Awagami Japanese paper.

black and white photo by Walter Borchenko, exhibit is at Japanese Canadian cultural center and is part of Contact Photography Festival

below: Hong Kong ferry terminal

black and white photo by Walter Borchenko, exhibit is at Japanese Canadian cultural center and is part of Contact Photography Festival

below: New York New York casino in Las Vegas in the foreground.

black and white photo by Walter Borchenko, exhibit is at Japanese Canadian cultural center and is part of Contact Photography Festival

below: The larger picture on the left is the Airport Long Distance Train Station in Frankfort Germany.  On the right, is an older house in Port Royal, South Carolina.

black and white photo by Walter Borchenko, exhibit is at Japanese Canadian cultural center and is part of Contact Photography Festival

below: Not a Borchenko photo! The exhibit is being held at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Center. Outside, they have the oldest Sakura tree that I have ever seen. It has large, dense, gorgeous blossoms!

sakura, cherry, blossoms on a tree, lots of pink and white petals

Exhibit closes 30th June

 

photos at College Park

Posted: May 13, 2025 in events, galleries
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I went to College Park in search of a CONTACT Photography Festival exhibit.  To me, College Park has always been a place where people pass through on their way to somewhere else.  If they linger it’s to grab a bite to eat from the food court or from the grocery store.

lower level of college park, outside glass wall of grocery store

I’ve never spent much time looking around inside so I wandered around a bit. I couldn’t find any space/place where there might be a photo exhibit.

a chair sits behind a translucent blue glass wall, escalator and the reflection of that escalator in the background

coming to the top of an escalator to an atrium where the walls are glass

I found a small group of paintings by Divyani Chandorkar in a small, out of the way corner by an elevator. Interesting, but not what I was after.

painting of a nature scene by Divyani Chandorkar, a sunset or sunrise over water

After a chat with a security guard and a little more walking around, I discovered that the photos were being displayed outside!  They are in a public space immediately south of the College Park building- between the College Park and Aura buildings.  Here, they become part of the environment.

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photo of a couple standing facing each other with arms wrapped around each other

Photo by Hikari Creatives (aka Winson Sun) who specialize in wedding and engagement photos.

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The exhibit is presented by the Downtown Yonge BIA and Aden Camera.

photo by Nim Mendoza of a bright orange building, night time, there is a group of young people walking past it, outside

by Nim Mendoza

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picture photograph on display as part of contact photography festival, night city scene, by Aidan Samuels, cars on a street

by Aidan Samuels

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photo of lower part of man's body, wearing dark pants, holding a purple skateboard, by Nim Mendoza

by Nim Mendoza

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This large bunny and butterfly were there too!

large blue sculpture of a rabbit in the foreground, and a butterfly with open wings in the background

Other photographers involved in the show: Rob Burns, Maryn Western, and Eden Schwinghamer.

public park space behind College Park and beside Aura building, people sitting on benches,

Colours at Davisville Station

Posted: May 4, 2025 in events, locations
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For the month of May, “Time Capsule”, a series of abstract images by French artist Laure Tiberghien is hanging on the walls of Davisville subway station.

on the walls of Davisville subway station, 4 large photographs have been mounted in the display cases usually used for ads. Photos by Laure Tiberghein

Tiberghien doesn’t use a camera to produce the images.  Instead, she creates them by exposing light sensitive paper to different natural and artificial lights.  Further processing is then required.

Two images by Laure Tiberghein, behind glass, by exit from Davisville station platform

Dark colours behind glass make a mirror and these images are no exception.

reflections in a red photograph hanging in Davisville subway station

The images have been inserted into the newer display cases that the TTC now use for advertisements.  On the left of each case is TTC information.

Davisville station, two art images in display cases usually used for ads

reflective picture in reds and blues on wall of davisville subway station, images by Laure Tiberghien

looking across the TTC subway tracks to the platform on the other side, on the northbound side of Davisville station, two images by Laure TIberghien, part of Contact Photography festival

exit sign hanging over platform at davisville subway station

hanging on the walls of Hart House

Posted: April 29, 2025 in galleries
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Hart House, at the University of Toronto, has two photography exhibitions on at the moment. Both are in hallways and both are open to the public.

Please remember that these are photos of pictures behind glass – don’t judge the quality of the image on display by the quality of the photo here on the blog! As usual, the real thing always looks better.

The first is “Interwoven Identities, Unraveling Diaspora Narratives” with the goal of tracing “the threads of memory, migration, and identity that shape Asian diasporic experiences and mental health.” This quote is taken from the Asian Art and Culture Trust website.

below: Fangdan Chen’s photo seems like a collage of many different kinds of faces, some natural and some not.

Untitled photograph by Fangdan Chen, on display at Hart House

below: A photograph by Sarah Jihae Kaye titled, “I’ve Begun to Distrust my Body”.

Photograph by Sarah Jihae Kaye, on display at Hart House

below: “Gourd” by Phoung Nguyen

photograph by Phoung Nguyen, title is gourd, on display at hart house

below: “Imagined Ricefields” by Reginald Balanga  – a barren winter scene that is possibly as far away from any rice field as possible.

a photo of a blacket draped over oa chainlink fence, winter scene, snow on the ground, small leafless trees.

The second floor hallway has an exhibit that features work by the Hart House Camera Club. The winners of the 103rd Annual contest, in 9 categories. A sample below. If your favorite photo isn’t here, don’t take it personally, it’s probably because I had trouble with reflections in the glass of many of them.

below: Cosmo Chan “Home”

colour photograph of a large multi story building

below: “Gently” by Jacob Lee

Photograph by Jacob Lee, two people reaching out to touch each other, with focus on the hands

below:  A surreal blue scene by Ongphat Piyabenjarad titled, “Parallel Worlds”

surreal photo, all in blue, two people floating or swimming underwater, with cityscape, highrises, in the background,

below: “Veiled” by Jasmine Lu, part of a photographic essay.

photo of a woman with light clothing, standing knee deep in water, part of a series by Jasmine Lu

below:  A young man sitting on a bench in what might be a bus shelter.   This is “How to Start your Digital Detox” by Gerald Lerchbaumer.

colour photo, man sitting on bench with back to camera, street scene in front of him

below: Albert Huang, “Camel Man”

black and white photo of a man with two camels, by Albert Huang, title The Camel Man, on display in the hall of Hart House at University of Toronto

below:  “The Strongman” by David Williams.

A black and white frames photo on display on a brick wall, The Strongman by David Williams

below: Playing with reflections, in another David Williams photo.  Who is watching who?

black and white photo of a man looking out a window, by David Williams, with reflections of the photographer and the wall behind

two framed colour photos hanging on a brick wall, interior, as part of an exhibit by the hart house camera club

below: Auden Cole “Phone Hunch”

colour phiotograph, black silhouette of a man behind clear glass or plastic that has graffiti on it

The Hart House Camera Club exhibits ends 30th of April.

The “Interwoven Identities” show continues until 18th May. If you are interested in the subject, there is another exhibit at the STACKT Market during the month of May called “Interwoven Identities: Healing in Community” – information at the Asian Arts and Culture website.

Light Years and Modernism

Posted: March 19, 2025 in galleries
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A quick, and very selective, look at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), focusing on two exhibits, “Light Years, the Phil Lind Gift” and “Moments in Modernism”.

below: Rodney Graham, “Media Studies ’77” . This large installation (lit from behind) will bring back memories if you are of a certain age!

below: Welcome to Vancouver

below: A series of images by General Idea (There are actually 4 pieces in this series).  General Idea was a group of 3 Canadian artists, Felix Partz (aka Ronald Gabe), Jorge Zontal (aka Slobodan Saia-Levy) and AA Bronson (aka Michael Tims).  The three men met in Toronto in the late 1960s; their collaborative work then continued until the mid 1990s. They were pioneers in the field of conceptual photography.

below: William Kentridge, “Drawing for Another Country, Flooded Street”, 1994.   Kentridge was born in South Africa in 1955)

below: “River Road” by Canadian photographer Jeff Wall. The photo was taken along the Fraser River in Richmond BC and was taken in 1994.  It is shown here as a transparency over a lightbox so that it is lit from behind.

The “Moments in Modernism” exhibit is a re-working of artworks owned by the AGO.  Some of you may have seen one or two pieces before.

below: “Delta Tau” by Morris Louis, 1960.

below: “Abstraktes Bild”, 1986,  by Gerhard Richter (b. Dresden Germany 1932).

below: I have seen this before (and possibly shown it here?) and I like it as much as ever.  It takes a certain amount of audacity or gumption to create a painting like this. Robert Motherwell painted this – title: “Open No.37A: in Orange”, 1971, charcoal and acrylic.

Robert Motherwell painting, orange, with three thin black lines, like an unfinished square, top open

below: Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008), mixed media on panel, 1964 (only part of it is shown).   Rauschenberg made pieces like these that he called ‘combines’ and they were for stage decorations for performances by an experimental dance group (Merce Cunninham Dance Group).  In 1963 they did a world tour  called  “Story”where they made a different ‘combine’ for each performance.  This particular piece was made onstage at London’s Phoenix Theatre in August, 1964.

Robert Rauschenberg, combines, artwork,

The modernism exhibit is more extensive than I have made it seem.  I didn’t take many pictures of pieces that I had seen before which may or may not have been the right call.  Andy Warhol’s large silkscreen image of the 4 identical Elvis Presley’s holding a gun ready to shoot is on display –  the one where two Elvis’s are in bright colours and the other two are in black and white.     You can also see Alex Colville’s “Woman in a Bathtub” if you want (I think that it is the worst of Colville’s otherwise wonderful paintings).   In addition, there are works by Canadian artist Rita Letendre and Norval Morisseau, plus others.

Light Years continues until November 2025,
while Modernism continues until March 2026 (another year)

A Photographer at Work

Posted: December 2, 2024 in galleries
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Lee Miller: A Photographer at Work is the title of a recent exhibit at TMU’s Image Centre,

A brief synopsis of her long and storied life – Miller (1907-1977) started her career as a model in New York in the 1920s. She went to Paris in 1929 where she became a fashion photographer. She also tried her hand at conceptual photography in the 1930s when she was living in Egypt with her first husband.  During WW2 she was a war correspondent for Vogue magazine in Europe.

two people looking at black and white photos in an art gallery, an older man and a woman with long red hair

black and white photo in a gallery, of a woman in old fashioned bathing suite standing beside and posing with a large fake fish

below: Fashions for Factories with the subtitle: “Every picture tells a story of streamlined,  uncompromising chic for a vital job.”  One of the paragraphs is this: “A woman is apt to be much what she looks. Fix her up smartly and she’ll be smart at the job.  The factory people know this.”

page from Vogue magazine from the early 1940s, spread on fashion in the factories, and what women were wearing at work, hat like turban, short sleeved shirt

women looking at an exhibit in an art gallery

below: Three actresses and models in a photo taken in New York in 1933.  One woman is unidentified and the other two are Dorothy Hale  (1905-1938) and Kendall Lee Glaenzer (1903-1978)

Lee Miller photo of three women, two sitting on a couch and the other standing behind it. Book case behind couch

below: “What’s Yours?” a double page spread in Vogue magazine with coats on the left and dresses on the right. Country coats and town coats… day dresses and afternoon dresses from a time and place when those details might have been important.

double page spread in Vogue magazine showing three women in each of four photos with different kinds of coats

black and white photo from vogue magazine, young woman holding a tennis racquet. Part of a tennis net is on the wall behind her

below: From an article, Six for Dinner”.  The six refers to six long, simple yet stylish dresses for the well dressed woman of the time.

three back and white photos on a green gallery wall, by Lee Miller

below: Advertising ‘intimate apparel’ but staying modest and discrete (r very coy?)  The age of the girdle! (even though this model doesn’t really need one!) – so glad that that phase has passed (sigh of relief).

black and white lee miller photo for vogue magazine, showing corset, or under garments for women, bra and girdle, slip, hard to tell because details are hidden

old black and white photo by Lee Miller, of three women, fashion photography, 2 standing are wearing slacks, woman witting on ground is in a dress

below: From 1945, chronicling the liberation of Europe by the Allied troops.

two photos, on left is a cover of vogue magazine from 1945, a woman in a head scarf, with bright red lipstick, on right a large photo of a recently liberated part of Europe and an article describing the liberation

below: November 1944, Paris.  “Ah Madame! Merci!  The article is written in French and it is a thank you to all the women who played a role in winning the war.  Like her fashion work, her focus during the war years was also on women and how the war affected them and their place in the world.

two photos on a gallery wall, on left is woman on a motorbike by the eiffel tower in Paris and on the right are a group of black and white photos of women working, article is thanking women for their role in winning world war 2

Her documentation of WW2 and its aftermath was extensive.  She was one of the first photographers into Hitler’s residence (and there is a photo of her in his bathtub).  She also documented the liberation of many of the concentration camps.  After the war, she continued working for Vogue, taking pictures of models and celebrities.

two people looking at photos on the wall of an art gallery

Unfortunately, this exhibit ends today, 2nd December.

infinite games, repeating games

Posted: August 26, 2024 in galleries, public art
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Infinite games, repeating games – both kinds of games can be seen in Yorkville.  For instance, we can start with the infinite…..

below: Sculpture by German artist Willy Verginer, titled “The Infinite Game”.  It’s a boy all in white kneeling on 4 dark grey teddy bears.  Meaning?

in courtyard at 80 cumberland, a statue by Italian artist Willy Verginer, a boy all dressed in white is kneeling on 4 grey teddy bears

below: The words, “Life is a Repeating Game” are a predominant part of this piece by James Verbicky.  The whole artwork is a large circle.  Circles, we go around in circles don’t we?  Plus, circles make cycles which we repeat over and over again.

artwork in a gallery window, horizontal stripes, painted in abstract, with words life is a repeating game

Yes, this post is about art.  More specifically, it is some of the works that caught my eye as I walked around the Cumberland-Yorkville area.  Some are in galleries or in their windows;  some are on the street.

below: “Hercules”, by Joe Fafard (the same artist who is responsible for the piece where Vincent Van Gogh’s head is inside a square, located on Dundas Street directly across from the Art Gallery of Ontario).  No attempts at being profound here but there is nothing wrong with whimsy.

flat metal sculpture, outline with small number of lines outlining details, of a cow, with title hercules, by sculptor joe fafard, located in front of mira goddard gallery in yorkville

below: Francisco Valverde’s riot of colours in vertical stripes in an artform that he calls Histograms.    There is an image in the background that is then covered with resin stripes of different colours.  The title of this piece is “Apricity”.

below: “Cosmic Dust” by Chinese artist Zhuang Hong Yi.  He produced this artwork by using acrylic paint on rice paper which has been mounted on canvas.  The paint is added last. .  The rice paper is folded and added to the canvas before the paint is applied.

artwork called cosmic dust, three dimensional, on wall, folded rice paper that is painted and then stuck on board or canvas

below: Three paintings, oil on board, on a gallery wall – painted by Ron Bolt.  They are images of rock formations that have been shaped by the ocean, and they are titled, Sea Carvings 1, 2 and 3.

paintings, oil on board, by Ron Bolt, on display at Loch Gallery, images of stones by the sea, abstract looking, 3 paintings side by side

below: d|azur A blue and white mural by Toronto-based artist Dahae Song on the corner of the Four Seasons Hotel.  It’s title is “d|azur”.

large artwork

below: This is “Raptor” by Nathan Mabry.  Something like ‘Toronto Raptors meet the Toronto Blue Jays’ vibes going on here.

Large blue bird, metal sculpture, title is raptor, by nathan mabry, in yorkville

below: Large black and white photographs by Deana Nastic in the windows of the Izzy Gallery

black and white photo, large, in window of izzy gallery,

black and white photo, large, in window of izzy gallery,

below: Another gallery window, another female image but that is where the similarities end!  Betty Boop and a collage of pop culture references such as The Beatles, Marilyn Munroe by Andy Warhol, bazooka chewing gum,  Pac-Man, the Starbucks logo, and more.

in a gallery window, collage art, featuring very large image of betty boop

below: Art on the streets, specifically on hoardings to hide a construction site.

artwork on hoardings and under scaffolding, beside sidewalk and around a construction site, multicoloured ovals, oriented vertically, on black background, by Peter triantos

below: Big coloured ovals on a black background, by Peter Triantos.

artwork on hoardings and under scaffolding, beside sidewalk, around construction site, multicoloured ovals, oriented vertically, on black background, by Peter triantos

artwork on hoardings and under scaffolding, beside sidewalk, around construction site, people, with lots of purple and orange tones

below: Slightly different from all the other image here, but still art in my opinion.  This image is from inside the Cumberland Terrace, a shopping center that has always struggled and is now facing demoltion (or total makeover, not sure what the plan is).  The interesting tile design on the wall was defaced by a line of Bell telephone booths. I wonder how long it’s been since someone made a call here?

tile mosaic design, interior wall of cumberland terrace, black and white stripes and a yellow and orange circle in the middle. Four phone booth mounted on wall

below: Gallery clutter.  He’s watching you watching him.  What does he see?

bookcase in a niche in a wall in an art gallery, painting above it, many small images in frames on the shelves, and a portrait of a man in front of it

I am going to end this post with three artists (from different eras and different backgrounds) who have portrayed their Canadian experiences in their paintings.

below: First is the oldest, Dutch born and European taught, Cornelius Kreighoff (1815-1872), whose “A Trip to Town” (1865), is one of his many scenes of life in what is now Quebec.   Kreighoff was a fairly prolific artist during his time in what is now Canada.  He first moved to the Montreal area about 1846.  At one point Ken Thomson (the newspaper/magazine publisher) owned about 200 paintings, many of which are now at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

painting by Cornelius Kreighoff in a fancy gold coloured frame, title is A trip to town

below: Lawren Harris (1885-1970), of the Group of Seven, painted  “House in the Ward, Winter City Painting No. 1” (Toronto) in circa 1924.   A snow covered street scene with not a car in sight! Just lovely old trees and red brick houses.

painting of a city street in winter, snow covered leafless trees, a red brick house, painting by Lawren Harris of the Group of Seven

below: And last, William Kurelek (1927-1977) “The School’s Woodpile” 1972, mixed media on board. Kurelek, son of Ukrainian immigrants, grew up on the Prairies during the Depression.

Previous posts about Yorkville Art:

1. The Yorkville-ification of Street Art.
2. A Yorkville meander with Captain Canuck

 

a common enemy

Posted: July 21, 2024 in galleries, history
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One of the pieces on display at TMU’s The Image Centre is this is pen and ink drawing signed by “Fun & Borckmann” from about 1895.  It is part of the exhibit, “Hypervisibility: Early Photography and Privacy in North America, 1839-1900.”  The drawing is on loan from the collection of Stephen Bulgar and Catherine Lash.   As you can see, across the top is the title, “A Common Enemy of Mankind”.  If you start at the first panel on the top left, you might think it is etiquette suggestions for photographers, but on closer inspection, is it?

an ink drawing from the late 1800s as seen in a gallery, framed and behind glass

Let’s take a look!

Panel 1 (below): ” The amateur
Photographer
A cheerful sort of nuisance is.
Does it occur To him – or her –
He shouldn’t take what isn’t his

part of an ink drawing by Fun and Borckman from about 1895 on the etiquette of photography, a common enemy of mankind

Panel 2 (above): A man whose life
Has been one strife
Against appearances of wrong,
Can’t kiss his wife
Lest lenses rife
On negatives his kiss prolong

Panel 3 (below) – along with “The other fellow’s girl!”
“Where’er one goes
To seek repose
Far from the city’s heat and din
Be cannot doze
In wooded close
But that a snap-shot takes him in.”

Can I call him a jaunty looking fellow with his striped blazer and the polka dot band on his hat?

ink drawing from circa 1895, a young man and a woman are sitting together outside, another man with a camera is hiding in the bushes behind them

Panel 4 (below): “Sometime mayhap,
A city chap
May linger in the moonlight fair;
He hears the tap
Of shutter-snap
And knows too well he’s pictured there.”

ink drawing with etiquette rules for photographers, or is it a guide to the follies of mankind? picture of two men about to kiss

Panel 5 (below): “Or in the street,
If he should meet
A former friend of single days,
It’s not meet
His smile so sweet
Be captured in actinic rays.”

bottom panel of drawings, a common enemy of mankind, with bottom title of Snap-Shots at the Amateur Photographer, about 1895 by Fun and Borckmann

Panel 6 (above): “But in default
Of dungeon vault
In which to lock this modern pest,
A plain assault
Might cause a halt –
But then, perhaps, a gun were best.”

Life’s little indiscretions now preserved in little snap-shots!   Please don’t shoot the photographer!

Extra litte note or two: Peter Borckmann was an artist whose pen and ink drawings appeared in the “New York Fun Magazine”. In the 1880s and 1890s, this art form became very popular as demand for humorous illustrations grew along with the increasing popularity of magazines and journals at that time. The “Fun Magazine” was published in the 1880s and early 1890s.

Oh, in case you were wondering about that word ‘actinic’.  I looked it up….According to Merriam Webster:  “of, relating to, resulting from, or exhibiting chemical changes produced by radiant energy especially in the visible and ultraviolet parts of the spectrum.”   Sounds a lot like old-fashioned, pre-digital, light hitting chemically treated film, photography to me!

 

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