‘FLUIDRIVE’. Images by Curtis Wehrfritz. Pikto Gallery, September 24th – October 20th 2010. Opening Reception: Friday Sep 24th, 2010.
Deus ex machina
I am interested in the photograph as a story telling device; a kind of machine that works like a personal divining rod. This work features staged story elements. The lyrical content is drawn, cast and art directed and shot until the idea arrives. The process is more like a painting then other forms of photography and film I have pursued in the past.
The series of work, entitled "fluidrive" is focussed on the use of ritual. I am interested in a lyric image that can be revisited by the viewer in the way one re-visits the feelings created in a song or prose. The daguerreotype is kind of a reliquary that you can hold in your hands and use like a prayer box. The fact that these "mirrors" last forever and have the ability to render subjects almost as a hologram put us in a discussion with our own memories.
My fascination with the use of the modern daguerreotype began after living with this project for a couple of years. Dags are distinct in that Images float eerily below the glass within a mirror of your own reflection. I love the experience of a person who whispers something valuable in your ear. Modern Daguerreotypes: "momento mori" which translates as "remember you die": I was introduced to Daguerreotype process by searching out Mike Robinson. He is a Toronto native who is world re-knowned for his expertise in the field. The process dates to the earliest form of photography and is named after one of the two inventors. Pure silver clad plates are hand polished and buffed until they are almost flawless mirrors. Light sensitive halogens are created by exposing the silver plates in fuming boxes of Bromine and Iodine.
These plates are then exposed in the camera and developed in the fumes of Mercury. Modern techniques isolate these processes within chemical hoods, a process that was not available to early practice, often with deadly results. Daguerreotypes are at once highly elusive and high resolution. They also are extremely archival and images from the past haunt us with the almost 3-D renderings of people such as Emily Dickonson and Abraham Lincoln. Although Daguerrians were common to most large cities their works were always quite expensive to produce and they remain quite rare to this day.
Website - www.fluidrive.ca
Upcoming Events at Pikto
Upcoming Community Events at Pikto
Free Events
Power and Ease of Apple Aperture 3
Louis Au
Sunday, August 15th 2010, 1pm-2pm. At Pikto lab
Join us at Pikto for a one hour session with Louis Au discussing the new conversion software Aperture 3. Aperture 3 is Apple's latest pro photography tool for raw-conversion and photo management. The program features a RAW-focused workflow and is designed to be an all-in-one raw capture post-production tool for pro photographers. In this demo, you will be introduced to Aperture's editing workflow, raw conversion capabilities and sharing work on or offline
DETROIT
Ian Willms
Opening reception Friday, August 27 2010, 6pm-10pm. At Pikto Gallery
The photographs in "Detroit" have been captured with an inexpensive and technologically primitive plastic camera called the 'Holga', originally produced en-masse in the 1980's for working-class families in China. The photographs have a ghostly quality that closely resembles the photographic aesthetic of the 1920s- a time when Detroit was at its economic peak
Pikto's Top Pick Community Party.
Friday, November 12th, 2010. 6pm - 11pm. At Pikto Studio. Join the Pikto team and friends at The Pikto Studio, The Distillery District, Toronto. The Pikto's Top Pick Judges will announce the competition winners on the night. Photography chat and drinks will commence.
Pikto's Top Pick. A Competition for Photographers. Deadline October 1st.
Submission details here
Artist Talks.
Brent Foster. Friday, September 10th 2010. 7pm-9pm. Pikto Studio. Cost: Free
Visual Journalist Brent Foster will be at the Pikto to talk about his work and answer questions Brent Foster (b. 1982, Canada) is a photojournalist and multimedia producer who splits his time producing editorial content, and photographing weddings with the same approach as his newspaper, and magazine work. Foster was a staff Visual Journalist at the Los Angeles Times before leaving to pursue a freelance career. Foster is an Eddie Adams workshop alumni, and has received numerous awards including being selected as a finalist for the 2009 Magnum Expression Award, two National Press Photographers Association 'Best of Photojournalism Awards' for Multimedia, and a nomination for Canadian Photojournalist of the Year through the News Photographers Association of Canada. His clients include TIME.com, The New York Times, Canadian Geographic, Human Rights Watch, and The Globe and Mail.
Robyn McCallum. Friday January 28th 2011 7pm-9pm
Robyn McCallum is a Toronto-based artist and curator. Born and raised in Ottawa, Robyn moved to Toronto to study at the Ryerson University School of Image Arts, from which she now holds a BFA. She currently works at Bau-Xi Photo, a new photography gallery in Toronto. Robyn uses humour as a means for social critique and usually deals with issues of gender and representation. Her recent work has been published in The Magenta Foundation's Flash Forward, and exhibited internationally at Sid Lee Collective's Starving Artists in Amsterdam.
Johan Hallberg-Campbell. Friday February 11th 2011 7pm-9pm
Documentary Photographer Johan Hallberg-Campbell will present and talk about his newest work 'The Old Firm' which he will begin shooting in Glasgow, Scotland in September 2010. Johan Hallberg-Campbell is an award winning freelance documentary photographer based in Toronto, Canada. He was born and brought up in the Highlands of Scotland near Loch Ness. Since 1996 he has been traveling, living in Scotland, Sweden, England and Canada. After many trips to Canada, he made the country his home, emigrating in 2006 where he now works on his personal projects and assignments. Johan is also the current Curator at Pikto Gallery in Toronto. He graduated from The Glasgow School of Art in 2002 (B/A Honours in Fine-art Photography).
Shooting Robert King
Documentary film 'Shooting Robert King' is available to watch at snag films website. Very interesting watch following a war photographers journey over 15 years. Watch here
VII Photographer Christopher Morris
Photographer Christopher Morris, known for his war photographer in the 80s and 90s, has embraced the new crop of video DSLRs. 'The Black Tide' shot over an afternoon is a reflective look at the horrific destruction caused by the BP oil spell in Louisiana.
"BP's Deep Water Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
This is my look, at having spent an afternoon on the water in the area around Barataria Bay, off the Louisiana coast back on June 15, 2010.
This style of documentary for me is something that is best viewed when you are alone and have the time to spare 10 minutes of your day. It's shot in a way to allow viewers to think for themselves, without having someone tell you what to think and feel.
Shot while on Assignment of La Vie Magazine.
With special thanks to Jerzy Wolochowicz for his music composition and Claire Deville for making in happen".
Christopher Morris/VII
View on Vimeo.
Dorothea Lange-Paul Taylour prize announced.
Documentary Photographer Tiana Markova-Gold and writer Sarah Dohrmann won the first prize of the 2010 Dorothea Lange-Paul Taylor Prize. Their project “If You Smoke Cigarettes in Public, You Are a Prostitute: Women and Prostitution in Morocco".
The joint project explores the lives of female prostitutes living in Morocco.
Very Powerful work.
Wedding and Event at Pikto
Top Toronto Wedding photographer Tara Mcmullen shared her knowledge in another great two day workshop last week. She guided her students through practical shooting techniques using models hair and make up. The participants learned how to shoot an engagement session, wedding set up as-well as the business and marking side.
To see more details and join Tara's next workshops click here
"Hello Johan and Tara.
I had a very productive and positive time at the workshop with Tara. Tara shared so much with us. It was so refreshing to have someone who is so open and willing to give of herself.
I think you guys are really onto something with Tara's workshop and I would def. be interested in attending another workshop with Tara especially.
I hope to have a blog post up about the workshop itself in the next week.
Thanks so much for hosting this putting it all together".
~William
Photography by Tara Mcmullen
Model: Barb
Make up by Hayley Cotterill
Hair: Fuss Hair Studio, Toronto
Capturing Babies, The First Year of Life.
Wendy Rombough took her students on an in-depth journey into successfully capturing the first year of life. Using studio and natural lighting set ups, that can be easily replicated at home , Wendy showed students her techniques at the Pikto Studio this past weekend in the full day workshop. Three babies were the perfect models! Look forward to your next workshops Wendy!
Next stop: PIKTO – Hahnemuhle Anniversary Collection 2010 World Tour
Pikto is proud to host the Hahnemühle Anniversary Collection 2010 World Tour from July 2 to July 18, 2010. The opening reception will be held on July 8 from 6 to 9pm at the Pikto Gallery. RSVP at rsvp@pikto.com.
Hahnemühle presents the Anniversary Photo Award to mark their 425th anniversary. The motto is “For Originals”. Professional and amateur photographers were invited to capture their very own personal, original perspective of people, things and moods in a photograph.
Just under 1,800 participants from 45 countries submitted over 7,100 images. An international panel of judges selected 43 pieces for the Hahnemühle Anniversary Collection.
“The impressive pictures represent a cross section of the subjects of photography,” says Hahnemühle’s Managing Director, Jörg Adomat. “From portraits and landscape to architecture and still life. We are confident the exhibition will be truly special. For every single subject we selected a FineArt paper particularly suitable regarding its degree of whiteness and structure to optimally support the message of the respective picture.”
The winning images have been exhibited on a tour with stops in Australia, Germany, UK, France, U.S.A., Brazil with the next stop at Pikto Gallery in Toronto, Canada. The show kicked off in Sydney on 10 February 2010, followed by Beijing, Berlin and Hong Kong. A stop at the Photokina convention in Cologne after Toronto will also provide an added highlight: where the Hahnemühle Anniversary Photo Award pieces will be on show from 21 until 26 September 2010.
Photography Weekend in Montreal
Weekend of Photography in Montreal - Jean Heguy
Saturday July 17 and Sunday 18, 2010.
Join Montreal native photographer Jean Héguy for this unique photographic trip. Jean is a location photography specialist with 17 years experience and his stock imagery is represented by Corbis, Getty, Jupiter and First Light.
The weekend will be a fun hands on practical workshop exploring the ins and outs of Montreal, one of Canada's most beautiful and vibrant cities. We will walk the streets of Plateau Mt Royal, the Latin Quarter, Vieux Montreal and downtown in search of the best stock photography opportunities. Architecture, ambiance and people will be our topics to capture Montreal's essence on a summer weekend. Also we will explore night photography with the best spots to capture the city skyline. Two intensive days of shooting so bring lots of memory cards or film. During mealtimes we will enjoy a glass of wine and Jean will give lectures on shooting stock, working with agencies and technical advice on shoot problems encountered. Pack your camera bags and expect to come home with new ideas and a strong portfolio of images.
Pikto Workshops under way for the Summer months.
The Pikto Summer photography workshops are running. It is great to open my emails in the morning and read the strong feedback from students! We strive to push the boundaries in photographic learning. The Pikto teachers work hard to practically and theoretically demonstrate the ins and outs of photography, whether shooting a wedding, writing grants, or making a documentary in a foreign country. For more information on workshops check out here.
http://www.pikto.com/workshops/
PROFESSIONAL PHOTO ASSISTING “An excellent workshop that I will highly recommend to others. Even as a professional photographer, I was amazed at how much I was able to pick-up from the wealth of information fed to me! Markian is an interesting and extremely knowledgeable instructor. It was worth every penny and more! I would highly recommend this workshop to others looking to break into the work of Professional Assisting!”
Christina
"Overall I think the quality of this workshop was excellent. Markian was a great instructor because he really made an effort to engage each of us individually, and relate what he was talking about to our own experience. He seemed genuinely interested in making sure that we understood what he was talking about. Also, I appreciated that the course was approached from an intermediate/advanced level, and there was no redundant information. This course has given me a great foundation for assisting, and now I am more aware of which areas I need to learn more about.
I look forward to more workshops at Pikto, I'm planning on attending the upcoming Technical Quality in Digital Captures, Phase One Capture One Pro Essentials, and Studio Lighting Workshop this summer. If you have a mailing list for workshops please add me."
John.
REPEAT WORKSHOP PARTICIPANT
“Absolutely worthwhile, practical and informative. The teachers make the class funas well as educational. Learned more from the classes than I learned after 4 years in Art school. Highly recommended, A+.”
Rayhaan Traboulay
DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY
“Fantastic! I Learned more in these 16 hours than in the last six months. Don was so personable and encouraging and constructive. I’d jump at the chance to go to more workshops with him.”
Kate Wilhelm.
BODY IN MOTION
"Cylla’s workshops confirm that teaching is a profession that takes thoughtful consideration from someone who is effectively able to share their knowledge and growth with each student. Her workshops are fun and creative in a relaxed atmosphere. They have motivated me as a photographer and inspired me to continue my exploration of capturing movement. It is a pleasure to have the opportunity to work with such enthusiastic and expressive dancers while being taught by the talented and dynamic photographer, Cylla Von Tiedemann."
STUDIO PORTRAITURE
"With little knowledge about studio portraiture, I have since been able to work confidently with lighting equipment after attending Jean’s workshop. He not only teaches his students the fundamentals of studio lighting, but how to work safely with strobe. I would recommend this course for anybody interested in learning how to use studio lights."
ULTIMATE FASHION
"Josh’s Ultimate Fashion workshop is a window into what its like to work professionally. With keen models, creative hair and make-up artists, and the support of a professional fashion photographer, this workshop is truly a unique experience for those interested in the fashion photography industry."
"Overall I have learnt more in one day at Pikto than I have at any other course. Each workshop has been engaging, beneficial, and delightful. I have recommended these workshops to many other aspiring photographers, and will continue to attend them myself."
Cailin.
GRANT WRITING
"It's taken me a few months to process what I learned from Donald Weber's grant writing workshop. I didn't take it to learn how to apply for grants; I took it because I've been struggling to write about my photography, which is strange since I actually make my living from words right now.
Don's workshop definitely helped me. He broke down an approach to writing about your work, a structure. But more importantly, he gave me confidence to trust myself – to BE myself when writing about my work. For so long, I've been wishing someone smart would come and tell me what's going on in my pictures on a deeper level. (Don didn't do that.) I thought that to be successful in the art photography world you have use academic language and concepts, but Don emphasized straight honesty to the point of rawness.
Somehow during the workshop I gained insight into my work, and I was able to create a statement that feels true to me – and it helped me get into the 2010 Magnum Workshop in Toronto with my first-choice instructor."
Kate.
PIKTO’s Top Pick
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