Archives 1984 ()

20 November - 9 December 1984

“In his confrontation with reality, esoteric as it may sound, the photographer compounds a totality of work which, for me, is an actual graphic representation of what he really is. Feeling is expressed in emotional freedom with photography becomes at once a diary of and a monument to the particular, unique existence of one man or woman, much as it does in any other medium, but especially when an artist uses it, I believe that what our Greek-derived, science-bound word “photography” fails to say is said succinctly in a two-ideogram character by the Japanese: THE REFLECTION OF EXISTENCE.
If I were to choose form my work my photographs I believe to be viable and worthy of preservation, I would select those photographs which are memorable in that they are, in a way, analogues of terse poetry, images which give up their message very quickly without pretense of gimmick, subterfuge or flippancy. I do not deny that the number of photographs worth preservation from my work is few, but that’s the way it is. It is all work from one and the same man, full of contradictions, indecision’s, contrariness and sometimes perversity. Nevertheless, I have found some moments in time and space where I have been able to record and express my experience in the delights and sorrows of a rather special world…”
Michel Lambert, 1971

29 May - 16 June 1984

The dilemma caused by the homemaker staying home raises the problems of isolation, loss of status, and little appreciation for the work being done.
This undervalued work of child-raising involved the organization of a household, chores and looking after siblings. Very often a feeling of isolation occurs as contacts with their adults become limited. A homemaker wants time away from parenting or the company of other adults who share same experience. When you’re surrounded by people in the same situation, you eliminate that feeling of isolation. Today, drop-in centers for parents and children provide this service. Parents  are usually invited to participate in various activities with their children. This gives the parent the feeling that you’re not alone in this situation. Things seem to make sense.
As a househusband, my feelings have been confused. I began this role, still an untraditional one, with little experience of child-rearing. However, I’ve learned, with the help of my wife and friends, about this world, known mostly by women. I learned about the love of seeing my child growing up and playing an active role in this relationship. I learned about the frustration of being housebound and the loss of status because  I wasn’t “working”. I learned about patience in educating a child, the pleasure of hearing a “hello daddy”. I learned about the never-ending jobs that have to be done around the house-cleaning, cooking meals, washing floors, changing diapers and washing them-and the list goes on.
Eventually the idea of sharing my experience as a house husband evolved. Photographing the birth of my daughter became the starting point. I documented the intimate relationship at home as well as my relationship with the outside world and my awareness of the baby market industry.
I hope this show will bring better understanding to prospective househusbands and act as a celebration of work done by homemakers.

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Diary of a househusband  consists of 35 black and white photographs, each 11″ by 14″, documenting Pierre Ozorak’s experiences in raising his daughter. The works are installed on blue plastic clothes lines with wooden clothes pins, like diapers drying in the sun.
Pierre Ozorak came to Winnipeg from the Ottawa Valley a few years ago. He had exhibited two shows of photographs previously-the first, in a commercial gallery, of railways, and the second, in the artist-run space, a collection of street photographs. This show is the first, he says, with which he feels confident.
What bothered Ozorak about some photographers’ work was that, although technically good, it didn’t take responsibility for social or political concerns. This show both describes and acts as a celebration of work done by home-makers.
The idea evolved from photographs taken in the birthing room at the time of the delivery of his daughter, Simone. Six of these form the introduction show. The artist entered the role of househusband with little experience of child-raising, a world still known mostly by women. He experienced the problems of being housebound, loss of status because he wasn’t “working”, the lack of adult company and he never-ending housework.
In the photographs, intimacy, emotion and gentle humour in juxtaposition of images are evident. Hands figure prominently-manipulating household objects, holding the child, and in one photograph, outstretched as if in blessing. The market for baby products is obvious-Pablum, jars and jars of mashed baby food-a pregnant woman chatting beside a store-window filled with multiples of Pampers boxes.
The photographer is talking about the activities of child-rearing; in these works, its joy, too, is certainly there
- Helen K. Wright, Coordinator

8 - 26 May 1984

The exhibition by the Toronto photographer, Andrew Danson, Portraits: Newfoundland/Jamaica at the Winnipeg Photographers Group/Floating Gallery contrasts individuals in a rural environment on these two islands.
These portraits are 30 large silver prints, 15 from Newfoundland and 15 from Jamaica, done during 1981-82. In addition,  the contrasting “studios” are portrayed- a fabric backdrop propped against buildings outside.
The artist writes about his work, “The Jamaican portraits were taken during a four-week stay in the town of Falmouth, Trelawny Parish. Most individuals I photographed entered onto the experience with seriousness, self-confidence and dignity… The photographs represent moments of encounter which transcend time and reference.” A noticeable quality in these portraits is the energy and physical vitality depicted- in contrast to the Newfoundlanders’ more static poses.
The Newfoundland portraits come from a hamlet of Dan’s Hole on the Port de Grave Peninsula. Having first visited there on assignment in 1979, Andrew Danson returns once or twice a year.
A neo-colonial reality ties these two groups. Obviously, in both cases, the cultures have remained relatively intact because of the islands; isolation. “Both island cultures possess the link which exists between survival, strength and spirituality”, the photographer notes.
-Helen K. Wright, Coordinator

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The Newfoundland Portraits were taken during the summer of 1981 in the hamlet of Dan’s Hole, in Ship Cove which is on the Port de Grave Penninsula jutting into Conception Bay.
This community of mostly fishing families was first settled in the middle of the 17th Century. I happened upon Dan’s Hole while on assignment in 1979 and I return once or twice a year, just to be there.
A number of people in the community have never been off the Island. Some have been to St. John’s, a 90 minute drive, once in their lives.
Newfoundlanders, as Jamaicans, are also survivors. They too continue to struggle through a neo-colonial reality. At the bottom of the ‘first world barrel’, Newfoundlanders are still better off than Jamaicans. The strength of the Newfoundland spirit has pervaded the Island’s 450 year old survival. Jobs continue to be scarce and unemployment is very high. Onshore and offshore resources continue to be extracted and transported to the mainland for labour intensive manufacturing. Fish stocks appear to be depleting.
Family and community ties remain strong. Religion is a mainstay for many who know that their fate often depends upon unpredictable and sometimes ferocious weather. In comparison to the mainland, traditional island cultures tend to remain more intact due to semi-isolation.
Newfoundlanders through television and ‘white culture’ are closer to the snapshot and commercial image sensibility than Jamaicans who see little television and only a shred of advertising. Dan’s Hole people also approach the picture-taking experience with a strong sense  of self. Both island cultures possess the link which exists between survival, strength and spirituality.
Andrew Danson

The Jamaican Portraits were taken during a our-week stay in the town of Falmouth, Trelawny Parish, in the Spring of 1981. Falmouth  is a coastal town of about 5000 people. It is located between the tourist meccas of Ocho Rios and Montego on the Island’s North Coast.
I had been introduced to Falmouth by Jamaican friends one year previous and I was taken by it’s relative isolation from tourism and white people. I wanted a Jamaican experience whatever that was meant to be.
The people I met and photographed were individuals I encountered on both superficial and sub-surface levels. Some wanted to know what my purpose was. A few were suspicious about CIA connections. (The Cubans who were building homes, cultural facilities and providing free medical services were told to leave after the Manley government was ‘elected; out of office.) Still others wondered if I was “stealing from the culture”. My response were about communication, understanding, struggle and spirituality. After reasoning most collaborated.
My ideal about meaningful contact with people was not altogether ultraistic. Most individuals I photographed entered into the experience with seriousness, self-confidence and dignity. I gave each person a Polaroid SX-70 image  of themselves, it was always a pleasure watching expressive eyes watching the image come to life.
This work has been compared with Penn and Avedon sensibilities. It has also been linked to some sort of anthropological attempt. It is none of these. The neutral backdrop is in part, an attempt to isolate people from cultural statements beyond their presence.
The Jamaican Portraits are a kind of poetic statement. Any attempt to venture beyond this would be presumptuous. For me, the photographs represent moments of encounter which transcend time and reference; but I could not present this work without touching upon the physical existence of (most) Jamaican people.
It was difficult living among the people in Falmouth, Poverty cannot be romanticized. Minor forms of malnutrition were not uncommon. Poverty related personal and domestic problems are unknown to most of us.
I have learned a different respect and empathy for Jamaicans and their struggle. I fear however, that the ‘lot’ of the Third World will always remain the same unless perhaps altered by violent revolution. We the (econo/techno) developed nations do not really care. We only care for ourselves.
Andrew Danson

28 March - 15 April 1984

The Photographers Gallery permanent collection was established in 1977 in order to preserve outstanding examples of photography for future exhibition and study. Early directions of the collection mirrored the photographic interests of gallery members, as these members made frequent donations.
As the profile of the gallery rose and spread outside the region, so too did the sources of photographs for the collection. Acquisitions regularly come from across Canada as well as other countries. The gallery recently  received a donation of fifty-four contemporary Flemish photographs from the Belgian Embassy. Donations in the past few years  have reinforced the original purposes and he continuation of the collection as a valuable exhibition and study body of contemporary photography.
As sources for photographs expanded, the complexion of the collection has undergone a  steady evolution in its make-up. Acquisitions of the first few years displayed a preference for documentation of the natural and social landscape. Recent acquisitions are indicative of some changes in contemporary photography. Today it is difficult to identify one style or tradition as the dominant approach, and individual explorations of the photograph with formal, narrative, or contextual concerns are more likely to be the case. This diversity of approach is apparent when studying The Photographers Gallery collection, and the exhibition NEW VINTAGE is intended to highlight directions that are new to the collection and hopefully new to many of its viewers.
Brenda Pelkey and Dan Thorburn, Exhibition Curators, The Photographers Gallery

4 - 23 January 1984

The “Lake I” series of 1983 is based on a preconceived notion to photograph minimal landscapes of water and  sky. The other variables-rocks, people at play-explore aspects of space, scale and infinity within the water/sky framework.

Winnipeg