Candace Makowichuk wants the world to reconsider what it means to be behind the lens. It’s not all simply point and click.
“I’ve been having to differentiate myself a little bit. When I mention that I do photography, people automatically click, ‘Oh, you’re a commercial photographer. Can you come and photograph the furniture for me?’ ” she laughed. “I’m rephrasing it: I’m an artist and my medium is photography.”
It’s an excellent point, one that really gets driven home at dc3 Art Projects. The gallery has InFocus in focus as its contribution to the larger Exposure Festival. The exhibit and the festival are grand reviews of the kind of high quality photographic arts being produced in the province.
Makowichuk has a few works here that demonstrate her interest in cyanotypes, a process as integral to photographic history as it is unique to the art world. These two pieces are from a series she did on the beaches of Lesser Slave Lake, focusing on the sand, the water and the driftwood.
This is the second edition of InFocus, curated by Alexis Marie Chute, and featuring 20 photographers and lasting the duration of the month. InFocus is an annual open-theme group exhibition and it’s a much more significant representation after last year’s weekend show. Makowichuk noted that it’s another solid indicator that Alberta photographic artists are gaining their due respect.
The opening reception takes place tomorrow from 6 to 9 p.m. during which the People’s Choice Award, chosen by recent online voting, will be presented. Chute will also give a curator’s talk to introduce the show. The exhibit runs until Sat., Feb. 27.
dc3 Art Projects is located at 10567 111 St. in Edmonton. Call 587-520-5992 or visit www.infocusphoto.ca for more details.
Peter Gegolick has cause to roar a mighty roar after taking the crown during Art Battle 347 on Jan. 21. He gets to move up to the provincial championship, the date of which hasn’t yet been set but will likely take place in the next few months. Whoever is the successful competitor at that event will then move up to the national paint-off.
The VASA painter went in with only the hope for a novel and enjoyable experience.
“It was very surprising. I went in with no expectations. I just planned to have some fun and it all turned out well, I guess,” he expressed with a hint of modesty.
He was inspired to sign up after his Goop of Seven colleague Garrett Plummer took a try at Art Battle 333 earlier in 2015. Plummer made an impression at that event, not the least of which was on his friend.
“I saw him do it and figured I could probably give it a shot, maybe something will turn up.”
As it turned out, it wasn’t as far off an experience as his usual modus operandi anyway. He said that he likes to paint with loud music while he jumps around to “make the music and the paint jive together.”
“That was the atmosphere that they had. It was me in my element.”
It turned out to be one of the biggest crowds that the competition has seen at the downtown venue.
As for his upcoming participation in the provincial round, ostensibly the semi-final game on the way to the big national match, he’s trying to take his same laidback ethos with him since it’s worked so well already.
“I’m just going to do what I did at the last one: just have some fun and whatever happens, happens.”
Gail Seemann is on a bit of a roll. After taking first prize in the Allied Arts Council of Spruce Grove's annual juried members show last April, she garnered the People’s Choice prize during the Winter Show back at the council’s gallery. The award was for her painting entitled Snowy, Snowy Night.
