Lining the walls of the Library Foyer Gallery starting next Tuesday (Dec. 4) is the Squamish Valley Photo Club's (SVPC) "Best of 2012" photography exhibition, a colourful and eclectic mix of persons, places, animals and all sorts of things image themes on obscurity, movement, texture, focus, contemplation living, being, LIFE!
Photo enthusiast Doug Hackett founded the club in spring 2010. The small group of photo lovers quickly came together and the inaugural Photo Walk was held in June that same year. Since then the group has met on a monthly basis to photograph in various locations or enjoy talks and tutorials, share tips and tricks and having fun learning technical aspects of the camera.
"We are all very proud to be able to share our love of photography with the Squamish community," Hackett says. "The club is very excited to be showing such a broad range of talented photographers at this show."
The SVPC exhibit features 13 different photographers and will include work from professional photographers such as Tracy Sutherland and Joanna Schwarz; from experienced photographers (i.e. non-professional) such as Jennifer Roberts and Hackett as well as several first-time exhibitors such as Sarah Kavsek and Megan Hackett.
As well as the framed prints, the club will be selling a 2013 calendar that features the same photographers as the show, with partial proceeds going toward helping youth photographers.
The club is dedicated to sharing the joy of photography with photographers of all abilities. Club events are open to all.
For more information contact: [email protected] and svphotoclub.blogspot.com/
"Painting with smoke" is the term coined by Kathleen Tennock to describe the spontaneous process that she uses on her unglazed clay artworks. In the Foyer cases Tennock presents her soft, natural and fluid primitive fired turned vessels veneered in genuine carbon markings left behind as a result of the smoke from combustible sawdust.
Her vessels are a combination of refined and varied shapes juxtaposed the organic neutral surface markings on a sensual burnished finish - inviting touch as much as visual attraction.
Tennock admits she has always been inspired by primitive works of art for their simplicity, tactile and gestural qualities which are echoed in her pieces.
"The one thing that I love about working with clay is that in a time and a world where everything is changing so fast and technology has such a big part in the way most things evolve, clay and the process of pottery has changed very little over time," she says.
Tennock finds great comfort in knowing that tech-advancement can't alter the procedure of making a pot and often finds herself coming full circle and revisiting an old technique or shape from years before. She says, "The familiarity of it makes me feel as if I am visiting an old friend."
Tennock studied Fine Art at the Johannesburg Art Foundation in South Africa but didn't delve into clay until years later when she moved to Canada. She has been passionately working with clay and living in the Sea to Sky Corridor for the past 15 years. Her display includes exclusive pieces from her private collection.
For more information contact www.kathleentennock.com
The SVPC's "Best of 2012 Group Show and Kathleen Tennock's "Naked Raku" pottery show are on exhibit from Dec. 4 to Jan. 7. You are invited to the artist's reception on Wednesday (Dec. 5) from 6 to 8 p.m.
Toby Jaxon is curator of the Library Foyer Gallery. She can be reached at [email protected]
