Contact 918 - The photograhpy event made for you by you!

Contact 918 in an initiative for the Contact Photography Festival by the new 918 Bathurst Culture, Arts, Media & Education Centre in Toronto's Annex neighbourhood.

Through Contact 918 the centre has created an online hub for photographers worldwide to upload photos. For the month of May these photos will be turned into a rotating video projection in the centre to be accompanied with various other photo related activities.

Lonsdale is on board and we are volunteering for the event. To get involved, to upload photography, or to simply get more information on event dates, please visit the website at:
www.contact918.com

Upcoming for Contact 2009: Illusion, Transformation, Creating the Impossible

April 30 - May 31, 2009
Artist's Talk: Saturday May 23, 2-4 pm

Joan Kaufman
William Mokrynski
Mabel Odessey
Ilan Wolff

The focus of this year's Contact Photography Festival is Still Revolution, an attempt to address ideas of conceptual and technological advancements in photography. Since it's conception, Lonsdale Gallery has strived to give representation to photographers who stretch the boundaries of their media through new processes as well as embracing and reviving obscure or obsolete technologies. As a response to this year's theme we are proud to present Illusion, Transformation, Creating the Impossible.

Artists Joan Kaufman, William Mokrynski, Mabel Odessey and Ilan Wolff use photography as a means of constructing still and moving images for illustrating the fantastic and the bizarre. While photography has been viewed historically as a means of documentation, using a variety of technologies, these artists alter their subjects through photo manipulation, digital processes, or simple multiple pinholes to invent new realities.

image credit: Joan Kaufman, Suspended Series 1.2, digital output on archival media, 2009

Closing Weekend- Responsive Space

The closing weekend of Responsive Space was a full one- marked by a tarot reading by Neelam Kler and the closing tea party hosted by Stacey Sproule. Another warm thank you to all of the artists and guests involved in the show.


guest performer Neelam Kler with Stacey Sproule

and the rabbit watched them all...

interactive piece Of Mice and Men Revisited by Laura Paolini



images of Sunday afternoon tea party hosted by Stacey Sproule

All Over Again- performance featuring Neelam Kler Sat. April 18 at 3pm

Neelam Kler, born in Vernon, BC is an installation and new media artist currently based in Toronto. Her work investigates the social and universal paradox of wholeness/fragmentation along with her anticipation for an entirely new world order.

Previous Work: can be viewed at: http://webspace.ocad.ca/~nk05ls

Neelam will be doing a tarot card reading for Stacey in the gallery at 3pm on Saturday.

image credit: Neelam Kler, still of Hallelujah, Anyways, 2006, video collection of 9 shorts

Review of Responsive Space by Terrance Dick

http://www.akimbo.biz/akimblog/?id=278

All Over Again- performance featuring Randy Gagne Wed., April 15 from 12-3pm

Randy and Stacey will be practicing the act of remembering in the gallery from noon to 3pm on April 15th. They will be recounting events past and making a record of that recollection. Stacey and Randy frequently collaborate together including a performance at the 2008 Toronto International Art Fair and one at 7*a11d International Festival of Performance Art.

Randy Gagne was born in Cambridge, ON in 1983; He received his Bachelor of Art degree from the Ontario College of Arts in 2007, majoring in drawing of painting. Randy is currently active in sound/performance art, writing and music, and just recently had his writing on sound art published in the academic journal "sense & society". Other recent exhibitions include the odB sound art festival in Finland, the 2008 7a11d International Performance Art Festival, and the 2008 Toronto International Art Festival. Randy continues to prolifically record, collaborate, and perform music in and around the Toronto area, and has a new album included in an international anthology of experimental music from the record label Bennifer Editions.

Image: from 7*a11d performance at Xpace Cultural Centre

All Over Again- tattooing with Michael Briand Wed, April 8

"Model Cabin" 24 x 36 inches, archival lightjet print, edition 1/1, 2009

"Garden Sculpture Cycle" 24 x 36 inches, archival lightjet print, edition 1/1, 2009

"Mint Mountains" 24 x 36 inches, archival lightjet print, edition 1/1, 2009

"Candy Tie Signal" 24 x 36 inches, archival lightjet print, edition 1/1, 2009

"55 Treeignalonfire" 24 x 36 inches, archival lightjet print, edition 1/1, 2009

Responsive Space- paintings by Stanzie Tooth

"Three Sisters" 52 x 60 inches, acrylic and oil on canvas, 2008

All Over Again- performance from Sunday, April 5

Alex McLeod write-up by Mike Landry

See blog article featuring Alex McLeod's newest series from Responsive Space:

http://thingsofdesire.ca/2009/04/02/responsive-space/#more-1420

All Over Again- second performance featuring Isla Craig, Saturday, April 4 starting at 1pm

Isla Craig is a song crafter of smooth sailing melody and trance like meanderings. Inspiration comes to her in the form of afghan geometry, early vocal music and R &B listening/imitation, and an all encompassing habitation within a world wraught in textile wizardry and colour explosion.

Unity is both the internal and external focus as one seeks the truth about oneself, one's relationship to others and reality (both the world at large and the unseen realm). The mystic's motivation for such an arduous endeavor appears to be unique to the individual and culture, and sometimes a new religion, order or sect may be the legacy.

Isla collaborates regularly with the Muskox (www.myspace.com/muskoxmuskoxmuskoxmuskox) and the Element Choir (www.myspace.com/elementchoir).



image of Isla Craig in performance

Opening Reception of Responsive Space with Gala performance featuring the Toronto F. Morris Men

Thank you to everyone who made it out to the Gala Performance for Responsive Space on Thursday, April 2nd. A big highlight of the night was the Toronto F. Morris Men, (visit www.tfmm.ca for more information) who entertained us with their traditional song and dance routines.

Please see the below post for the Stacey Sproule's performance schedule, complete with a listing of guest artists and performers.