Gilbert Garcin “Life is a Theatre” Exhibition

Posted on February 4, 2018 by Robert

“work In Progress – 2004”
Gilbert Garcin

Toronto. My friends in the AnzenbergerGallery, Absberggasse 27, Vienna, Austria emailed me on Thursday that the exhibition of works by Gilbert Garcin opens February 15, 2018 at 7 pm and goes from February 16 to May 19, 2018.

“When talking about his photographs, Gilbert Garcin has been referred to as the ‘cousin of Tati’ or the ‘spiritual relative of Magritte’. This brilliantly adept man of the surrealist genre came to photography late in life. After closing his lighting store, he began to engage in art and photography upon retiring at 65, attending several workshops at the festival Rencontres de Photographie in Arles. After that, he embarked on his second adventure with light, which has continued up to now.

“Within his sometimes ironic self-stagings, the entire spectrum of human comedy seems to be explored. Each of his minimalist photographs is like a theatrical act played out on the obscure stage of life. Gilbert Garcin is not only a director, stage designer, and photographer, but in his garden shed, he creates – with scissors, adhesives, photographic self-portraits and paper in black cartons – magical little analogue works and worlds which he then photographs, always in black and white.”

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another victim of the digital wave

Posted on February 3, 2018 by Robert

Fuji Xerox sign courtesy
of Getty Images and NPR

Toronto. When was the last time you made a Xerox copy? Can’t remember? You are not alone. I think it was a couple of decades ago for me. I usually just pop the paper or papers in my Canon All-in-one and make the copy  – or use the Canon and the Image Capture application in my computer to make a jpeg version of the paper print at what ever resolution I need.

Fujifilm in Japan and Xerox in the States joined forces way back in 1962 to make a subsidiary called Fuji Xerox. The Xerox Lab in California is often mentioned as the inspiration for the modern computer mouse and its computer screen’s user interface (UI). And Fujifilm was the most serious competitor to Kodak’s camera film business.

In the 1980s, when I worked for Bell, Xerox made a small Laser printer the size of a desk for about $27,000 Canadian. It was a minor competitor to the massive printers IBM manufactured and sold.

According to National Public Radio in the States (NPR), Xerox recently sold out to Fujifilm and a new company, also known as Fuji Xerox, will be formed with headquarters in both Tokyo and Norwalk, Conn.

We sometimes are unaware of just how deeply the digital revolution cuts, killing off or decimating so many traditional industries – printing, publishing, mail delivery, film, retailing, Over Air TV, traditional telephone switches, film camera technology, and now Xerox.

My thanks to George Dunbar for pointing out this article and the NPR link.

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the story of a camera

Posted on February 2, 2018 by Robert

Sean Flynn’s Leica M2 with
an f/1.4 35mm Summilux

Toronto. One of the blogs I follow is called Daring Fireball. The author, John Gruber, generally reports on Apple and its products (I write this site on an i7, 27″ iMac). Occasionally, he quotes an article about a none Apple topic. Tuesday was such as case when he linked to Japan Camera Hunter, a pseudonym  for Bellamy Hunt of Tokyo, and the story about Sean Flynn’s Leica M2.

You may not have heard about Sean before, but he was the only son of Errol Flynn and Lili Damita. Unlike his famous movie star parents, Sean became a photojournalist covering the Vietnam war for Time magazine (he tried movies for a while). This story traces his camera and how it re-joined its camera case and became a collectible in spite of its serious world-weary brassing. The M2 proudly supports an f/1.4 35mm Summilux designed by Dr Walter Mandler and made in Midland, Ontario. Have a read.

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Moon Shots

Posted on February 1, 2018 by Robert

Nasmyth created this
photograph that appeared
in an 1874 book.
Click for a larger image.

Toronto. I get emails from the AGO frequently. They cover various aspects of art and announce new exhibits. For example, last Tuesday’s newsletter covered a number of items including a new photographic exhibit called “To the moon and back“. The exhibit covers early photographic works of the moon and reveal intriguing links between astronomy and art. As you are aware photographic processes in 1874 were far too slow to record the moon in the sky let alone close-ups through the telescope. Two decades later this changed when the astronomer, Loewy , invented a large, specialized telescope for the Paris Observatory that allowed for the production of high-quality photographs.

Read about the techniques used by James Nasmyth, photographer,  to create this image  listed as the Mercator and Campanus Plate XV from The Moon: Considered as a Planet, a World, and a Satellite, 1874. Woodburytype, Image: 17.7 x 13.5 cm, Sheet: 27 x 20.4 cm, Mat: 45.7 x 35.6 cm.  The plate was purchased with funds donated by Stephen Brown and Brenda Woods, 2012.  The image is numbered 2011/288 and is © 2018 Art Gallery of Ontario.

Look at the image here and click on the January 29th 2018 newsletter AGO Insider: Your Art News to see how Nasmyth created the photograph. Then visit the AGO to see this and other Moon shots!

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William Withrow of AGO fame 1926 – 2018

Posted on January 31, 2018 by Robert

Wm Withrow (right) of AGO with
Sir John Rothenstein
of the Tate Gallery
by Erik Schack for G&M, 1963

Toronto. I saw in last Monday’s Globe that the popular one time head of the AGO, William Withrow, died at 91 on January 7, 2018. Born in Toronto, Bill directed the AGO from 1961 – 1991 including its growth and evolution from the Art Gallery of Toronto (AGT). His funeral was held at the Humphrey Funeral Home, A.W.Miles – Newbigging Chapel on Bayview Avenue.

For many years, the PHSC has had a good relationship with the Art Gallery of Ontario. Maia-Mari Sutnik, head curator of the Photography department is a long time (and generous) member. Ms Sutnik spoke at our Toronto meetings on May 16, 2007 and hosted us at the AGO to see the photography displays on a wet and chilly night in February, 2009.

On April 15, 2015 Michael Mitchell spoke about the wonderful exhibit Maia had at the AGO on Hendrick Ross and his wartime Polish ghetto photographs in Lodz. (see p5 for the article by Bob Lansdale).

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Erik (Schack) Christensen, Globe Photographer

Posted on January 30, 2018 by Robert

Erik Schack photos in the G&M Photo Archives

Toronto. One of the perks of being a Globe and Mail subscriber is their News Photo Archive. I wrote about the archive last summer back on June 25, 2017.

According to the Globe. “Subscribers can explore the work of Erik Schack, one of The Globe and Mail’s most artistic photographers.

“Schack started as a freelancer after WWII, later becoming a staff photographer and changing his name to Erik Christensen to avoid post-war discrimination against Germans.

“Current staff photographer Fred Lum has described Schack’s art as ‘ahead of his time.’ According to Lum, ‘he was Danish before Danish became a style of shooting’.”

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a 50mm Summicron lens

Posted on January 29, 2018 by Robert

Leitz 50mm
Summicron in BM
Click for July 1956 ad
from Popular
Photography

Toronto. A few days ago George Dunbar sent me more ads by email. Amongst them was a Leitz ad for its famous 50mm Summicron in a collapsible mount.

I wrote back to George saying, “The seven element 5cm summicron ad brings memories. I have an iteration three or four times newer than that first model. The number of elements was reduced to six and recalculated at least twice.

“The one I have is a closer focusing, higher contrast and slightly sharper version with the fine focussing knurling in a light black anodized mount without an infinity lock. I bought it in 1972 with my M4 from Korda in Montreal. It came with the lens hood too (after I had an argument with the clerk and had to show him in the Leitz catalogue that the lens came with the hood).”

This lens replaced all previous standard lenses for the Leica. The famous Elmar f/3.5 was replaced by an optional f/2 Summar. Post war screw mount cameras and then M-mount cameras used an f/2 Summitar and then an f/2 Summicron as a standard lens. Early models were collapsible (fixed mount Summars are rare and expensive) while later ones like mine were fixed mounts with lens heads that could be unscrewed and used separately for close-ups.

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Free Black North – Dr Julie Crooks of the AGO

Posted on January 28, 2018 by Robert

Dr Julie Crooks of the AGO

Toronto. PHSC Meeting, Wed., Feb. 21, 2018
Free Black North – Dr Julie Crooks of the AGO

We celebrate Black History Month by welcoming Dr Julie Crooks of the AGO to talk about her first exhibition at the AGO titled Free Black North.

Dr Crooks has a wide background in art and photography. She, ” … received her PhD in the Department of History of Art and Archaeology at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, U.K.

“Her research focuses on 19th and 20th century vernacular photography in West Africa and the diaspora.  Julie is also a curator working on projects concerning 19th and 20th century photographers from Africa and the diaspora. Julie has taught numerous courses in these fields at the Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto), as well as Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCADU, Toronto), University of Toronto, Wilfrid Laurier University, and York University (Toronto). From 2014 to 2016 she was a Rebanks Post Doctoral Fellow at the ROM (Royal Ontario museum). ”

From the ROM, Dr Crooks moved to the U of T’s Department of Visual Studies at Mississauga, and currently she holds the title of Assistant Curator of Photography in the AGO. We are delighted to have her talk at the PHSC’s Toronto meeting in this special month.

The public is always welcome. Go to our Programs page for directions.

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Photographic Canadiana 43-4 out soon

Posted on January 27, 2018 by Robert

Photographic Canadiana 43-4

Toronto. Our final issue for the 2017/8 membership year will hit the mail by month end. Members will see this beautiful issue early next month at the latest. Not a member? No problem, just go to the top right hand side bar of this site and sign up. Canadian addresses can choose one year or three years.

In the current issue are reviews of our monthly meetings for November and December 2017. Editor Lansdale and his able research assistant trace the Scouten family history and editor Lansdale tells a story about Tanner’s Crossing too . This is a riff from a Manitoba Land Grant certificate editor Lansdale acquired at one of our Photographica-Fairs.

In the column, Clint’s Curio Corner, our president recounts image finds from his recent visit to a camera show in Vancouver. Following that, editor Lansdale covers an unusual find at our recent Image Show. And in the column, Treasures From My Collection…, Bob Lansdale reviews his tiny Kodak camera collection – two little box cameras so small he compares them to a toonie coin! (A toonie is a $2 Canadian coin.)

This issue wraps up with a request for assistance to Vice-President John Kantymir regarding  unusual engravings on his special Kodak Rainbow Hawk-Eye Vest Pocket folder.

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the dawn of electronic flash for everyone

Posted on January 26, 2018 by Robert

Braun Hobby Flash c1956

Toronto. In the 1950s the Braun Hobby flash was touted as the cheap solution for everyone with a camera synced for flash and with an adjustable shutter. George Dunbar sent me this March 1956 Popular Photography ad by Leitz for the Braun Hobby. In 1956, the astonishingly popular Leica M3 was just two years old and featured both a built-in flash socket (non standard) and was synchronized for electronic flash. It seemed to be made for the Braun Hobby!

To keep the price down, the Braun Hobby was sold without a camera cable, or battery and could work with either a tiny lead-acid battery or dry cells (a slower option) or on any AC outlet. To  complement my Exakta VXIIa, I bought a used Ultrablitz Reporter II which was far more expensive, versatile and powerful than the Braun Hobby.

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