slides-eye view london
Continuing the theme of recovering long-stored documentation, in 2017 I came across nine 35mm slides of an exhibition that I curated in the early 1970s. Typically, after all this time, the slides are in pretty poor condition. Nonetheless demounted, washed and scanned, each frame serves as an aide-memoire to the experience of working with some very talented artists.
In 1972, or maybe it was late 1971, I had an opportunity to propose an exhibition for funding by the Canada Council. As Education Curator in the London Public Library and Art Museum, I often assisted with exhibition installations and even got to design a few catalogues, but here was an opportunity to initiate, curate and complete an original project.
For those who may not know, London and its immediate region was blessed with a significant array of established and emerging artists many of whom participate in the region's annual juried exhibitions. In 1969 Barry Lord, writing in Art in America, described London as 'the most important art centre in Canada. Also at the time alternate spaces and exhibitions such as the 20-20 Gallery and the Warehouse Co-op were emerging to provide exposure for work that, otherwise, may not have found its way into established municipal venues. For curatorial purposes, London boasted an embarrassment of riches and, after working in a situation where I was surrounded by three solo exhibitions a month - at the time referred to as ‘one-man’ or 'one woman' shows - planning a unique, multi-artist invitational exhibition was a distinctly viable project.
My idea was to have a number of artists visually record their intimate knowledge of, and attachment to the city. but I wouldn’t be requesting existing work but, rather, ask participants to step outside their material comfort zones and work with still photography.
As I write, forty five plus years on from the exhibit, I admit that it it was a challenge to recall the names of all twelve participants. But I was sure about the practical side of the project. Each artist was supplied with 35mm slide film and asked to provide twenty images that record places in the city that were of personal significance. Where needed, the gallery's Pentax SLR was available to the artist. The artists also agreed to be photographed by me in locations of their choosing.These photographs were presented near life-size and mounted alongside each artist's contributions to the exhibition.
In hindsight, I realise how much easier the project would have been had digital photography been available. Many more participants could have been invited and more display flexibility would have been available. As it was, the cost of artist fees, materials and the nature of the installation required that participation be limited to just twelve artists.
With this number, the logical approach was to run six slide shows concurrently. This was achieved by designing and building two freestanding, self-contained, hexagonal units where slides were back-projected onto screens set diagonally across the seam between two sides of the hexagon. Each screen presented forty slides: twenty images authored by each of two artists. The black and white photographs that
i had taken of the individual artists flanked each screen. Also, a set of slides by each artist was installed adjacent to the projection screen so that the sequence of projected images could be understood during continuous projection.
i had taken of the individual artists flanked each screen. Also, a set of slides by each artist was installed adjacent to the projection screen so that the sequence of projected images could be understood during continuous projection.
As I think back, setting a limit of twenty slides - something that was the norm when making applications for exhibitions and grants - had everything to do with available technology. While it was possible to purchase carousels with many more slots, the gallery's Kodak projectors came equipped with an eighty-slide capacity carousel. Most of the time, glass-mounted slides in an eighty-capacity carousel could be relied upon to function without problems. Two sets of slides by two artists (2x2x20) provided a continuously running display with very few technical issues. The final consideration was that each hexagonal display unit could be assembled and disassembled by two people as it was our expectation that the exhibition would travel to centres with fewer staff than available to us at gallery.
As suggested by the exhibition title, the intent was to present London through the eyes of artists and through the medium of still photography. Although I do recall taking criticism from a photographer who was unhappy that participating artists did not include at least one photographer. This was not intended to comment on whether photographers are artists. They are. Rather, the purpose and challenge of the project was to have individuals work outside of a familiar medium. My hope and expectation was that taking 'technically perfect' photographs would not become the primary concern for participants.
Who was invited?
Who was invited?
Contributing artistic maturity and long-term experience of the city were Clare Bice, Jack Chambers, Greg Curnoe and Roly Fenwick. The remaining invitees included several relatively recent arrivals to the city. These individuals may be more appropriately described as mid-career or emerging. They were Murray Favro, Dave Gordon, Robert Bozak, Michael T. Bidner, Kerry Ferris, Robert Fones and Ronald Bowman. Unlike Bice, Chambers, Curnoe and Fenwick who were primarily painters, the younger artists worked in a variety of media and approaches.
How were they selected?
Simply, they each made work that interested me and I could anticipate that each would bring ‘fresh’ eyes and ideas to the project. For much the same reason, mathematician and filmmaker Keewatin (Kee) Dewdney was invited, bringing the total to twelve. Kee's primary area of expertise notwithstanding, he was deeply involved in London’s visual arts community. It was but a small step to expect that his facility with mathematical elegance would translate as visual elegance.
Simply, they each made work that interested me and I could anticipate that each would bring ‘fresh’ eyes and ideas to the project. For much the same reason, mathematician and filmmaker Keewatin (Kee) Dewdney was invited, bringing the total to twelve. Kee's primary area of expertise notwithstanding, he was deeply involved in London’s visual arts community. It was but a small step to expect that his facility with mathematical elegance would translate as visual elegance.
It would have been useful at this point in the design of the page if I could include the actual images contributed by the participants. But it was not my remit to be the archivist nor would it have been appropriate for me to secretly retain copies of the work. What I do have available is this small set of faded, dusty installation images that I took as a personal nemonic of the project in general and the people in particular.
For the record, I should confess that I elected not to go too far with cleaning up the elderly transparencies as it felt appropriate that they retain some evidence of their maturity. Ektachrome's full-colour spectrum has become a sepia-like record of its former glory.
Kee Dewdney leaving his house. Kerry Ferris with her cat outside her studio.
Michael T. Bidner with his dog. Greg Curnoe on the road outside his studio.
Murray Favro near his home. Ronald Bowman with his cats outside his studio.
Robert Fones with his cone. Clare Bice in his studio.
Roly Fenwick fishing in the Thames. Dave Gordon outside his house.
Robert Bozak in a favoured corner store. Jack Chambers outside his home and studio.
addendum:
I was recently contacted by art historian Judith Rodger who was seeking to confirm that I had taken the photograph of Greg Curnoe that was part of the Slides Eye View installation and that she had included in her excellent book Greg Curnoe: Life & Work. Aside from the fact that it was good to hear from Judith whom I met at the gallery in the early 1970s, it was heartening to receive the photograph of Greg in a resolution that did justice to his choice and to the event.
I was recently contacted by art historian Judith Rodger who was seeking to confirm that I had taken the photograph of Greg Curnoe that was part of the Slides Eye View installation and that she had included in her excellent book Greg Curnoe: Life & Work. Aside from the fact that it was good to hear from Judith whom I met at the gallery in the early 1970s, it was heartening to receive the photograph of Greg in a resolution that did justice to his choice and to the event.
More recently and following further detective work by Judith, I received copies of two very useful documents. First a visual record of Greg's slide sheet which revealed that he used London's 'Forest City' appellation as the thread to connect his vision for the exhibit. As Museum London (nee the London Regional Gallery, nee the London Public Library and Art Museum) still has Greg's slides, it is likely that they have the work of the other eleven.
Finally, also courtesy of Museum London's archive, the information sheet that described the availability of the exhibition. Happily, it both confirms what I recalled about the exhibition design and adds details that complete my own mind's eye view.
