ARTIST’S STATEMENT
As a photographer, I am drawn principally to evoking a mood, atmosphere or character that already exists in some form in my imagination. For a variety of reasons, my imagination spends a great deal of time in the past.
Unlike cinema, still photography is not burdened by constructing complex narratives however, through the careful balance of light and shadow, through application of colour, through gesture, expression and location, it has the power to transport the viewer to a place and time that evokes a deep and rich personal narrative. For me, a portrait is an invitation to participate in that world and in that narrative.
While I have taken as many steps as possible to avoid anachronisms, these portraits are not meant to stand solely as accurate representations of the time period. And although I have employed a painterly aesthetic to many of the images, they are also not intended to replicate the manner in which portraiture was created in their time. Rather, these portraits are an attempt to convey more of the emotional gravitas expressed by these characters than some of the contemporaneous works might otherwise reveal.
The subjects for this Portraits of a Revolution series are re-enactment actors from Toronto and Southwestern Ontario portraying characters from the late 18th century. I am forever indebted to them for the generous donation of their time and for their trust in me.
As a photographer, I am drawn principally to evoking a mood, atmosphere or character that already exists in some form in my imagination. For a variety of reasons, my imagination spends a great deal of time in the past.
Unlike cinema, still photography is not burdened by constructing complex narratives however, through the careful balance of light and shadow, through application of colour, through gesture, expression and location, it has the power to transport the viewer to a place and time that evokes a deep and rich personal narrative. For me, a portrait is an invitation to participate in that world and in that narrative.
While I have taken as many steps as possible to avoid anachronisms, these portraits are not meant to stand solely as accurate representations of the time period. And although I have employed a painterly aesthetic to many of the images, they are also not intended to replicate the manner in which portraiture was created in their time. Rather, these portraits are an attempt to convey more of the emotional gravitas expressed by these characters than some of the contemporaneous works might otherwise reveal.
The subjects for this Portraits of a Revolution series are re-enactment actors from Toronto and Southwestern Ontario portraying characters from the late 18th century. I am forever indebted to them for the generous donation of their time and for their trust in me.