All is not what it seems at the 2016 RMG Exposed Fine Art Photography Auction. Charlotte Hale, chair of the event, says this year’s offerings in the Silent and Live Auctions have a common theme of a distorted reality, a departure from the camera’s usual role as documentarian.
“Art reflects Life, and photographers show us our world through a lens. The running visual theme that I am picking up on is a distorted reality. I am always so impressed by photographers who present mundane or everyday objects or scenes to us and make them compelling by their own imagination and fine ability to compose. You will see incredible work in both auctions that speaks to this and is a reflection of how these photographers see the world. It is fun and super inspirational,” says Hale, an artist, photographer and collector in her own right.
Steve Stober, Untitled , Dominion Square, Montreal (1971)
Hale, who just closed up her own photography art gallery in Mirvish Village, Toronto, says the greatest challenge in her new role, has been connecting the McLaughlin in downtown Oshawa with the art community of TO.
“We really wanted to bring guests from Toronto, students, collectors and photographers but the common response was that it was difficult to get to and many people are not driving now. I was looking for a very special sponsor to fund the cost of renting a 28 seat bus and the Bau-xi Gallery stepped up! We are so pleased to now offer friends and gallery supporters a free bus trip with their ticket purchase to the auction,” she says.
Two of the Silent Auction jurors are however from Toronto; Blake Fitzpatrick, Dean of the School of Image Arts at Ryerson, Natalie Spagnol, Curator at Ryerson Image Centre. The third juror, Mary Ellen McQuay is a Durham-based art photographer.
Hale curated the Live Auction with a selection of established and emerging artists including Steve Stober, JIm Allen, Kamelia Pezeshki and Gerald Pisarzowski. There will be contemporary and vintage images available.
Lilly Koltun, Place Glass Lens 3
Hale says photographs are not just worth a thousand words. They have become highly collectible with major art galleries and museums adding lens-based works to their catalogue. The relative inexpensive art form is also an easy entry point for the new collector who may be just beginning to start buying original art. Hale says the answer for those wanting to know what is art and what isn’t, is simple, “Ultimately, I believe that if you love it, it is Art. Buy it. Hang it in your space and enjoy it!”
So love it, bid it and take a picture. All funds go towards educating the next generation of artists/ photographers in Durham Region.
Gerald Pisarzowski, Double Arches, Arches NP, Utah, 2013