Operated by the Calgary Contemporary Arts Society

Faces, Places and Spaces - November 4 to December 18, 1999

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-Introduction
-Appreciation
-L. Chrismas
-A. Nishimura
-H. Palmer
-O. Semchishen
-G. Webber

"While all possess strong individual styles that emerge forcefully, there are numerous commonalities to the five which this exhibition hopes to illustrate."

"Though all come from the purist tradition of unbiased observation and non-manipulation of subject matter ...all five photographers have strong personalities that have inevitably resulted in individual and identifiable visual biases."

"For Semchishen it is Eastern rite churches, trappers and monks, for Chrismas it is coal miners, for Webber it is the emptiness of the prairie and its small towns, and the spirituality of groups of prairie inhabitants such as First Nations reserves and Hutterite colonies, for Nishimura it is also the solemnity of prairie towns and sacred places, and for Palmer it is war veterans and members of the Order of Canada."

"All five admit that, in the words of Palmer, they follow [their] own muse and photograph for themselves first. However they feel that it is important to share their images with, and honestly listen to and genuinely value the reactions from viewers."

"All five have each several decades of experience, and as a result of this presence over time, they have all exhibited widely throughout Canada and the world."

"All are represented in the permanent collections of regional, national and international galleries, as well as corporate and private collections."

Five Master Photographers, An Appreciation

Alberta is home to five master photographers who have left, and continue to leave a lasting mark. By the nature of their activity they are not household names, but it is likely their visions of people and places may well prove to be the truest and most insightful record of their times. These five are Lawrence Chrismas, Art Nishimura, Harry Palmer, Orest Semchishen, and George Webber.

While each of these artists could easily be the focus of an extensive solo exhibition, it is a historic occasion to bring together the work of all five in one gallery to compare and contrast their respective visions. While all possess strong individual styles that emerge forcefully, there are numerous commonalities to the five which this exhibition hopes to illustrate. All five are grounded in Alberta, gain much of their inspiration from the Alberta landscape and people on an ongoing basis, but are not necessarily tied to Alberta for all their subject matter. Indeed their visual interests are national and international in scope.

They bring to their photographic endeavours considerable life experience and outside knowledge sets - most have trained and worked in other occupations and professions such as radiology, journalism, engineering, geology, the teaching of English, and marketing. Thus they came to photography with a wider view of the world not formed solely by the viewfinder, darkroom, or gallery wall.

It is probably their reasons for photographing that brings them most into alignment. All are drawn to documentary photography in order to explore, record, reflect - and most importantly - gain an understanding of their environment, of their personal heritage, of the history passing before their eyes, of the continuity of life, and of both cultures and societies that they live in and that are different from their own. They thus have tapped into and carry on a century old tradition of prairie documentary - a tradition of graphically documenting the landscape and people in order to try and depict its emotional and cultural nature. Their aesthetic ancestors are George Anderton, William Hanson Boorne, Charles Mathers, Harry Pollard, Thomas Gushul, and Nicholas Gavinchuk.

Though all come from the purist tradition of unbiased observation and non-manipulation of subject matter (citing formative influences like Eugene Atget, Ansel Adams, and Walker Evans), all five photographers have strong personalities that have inevitably resulted in individual and identifiable visual biases. They have developed unique ways of framing an image, unique approaches to the isolation, inclusion and exclusion of elements, and a unique feel for light has branded their work just as if they had left a signature.

Some of them have put these reasons into words. Webber has a straightforward philosophy: My photography is about looking back at what formed me: the people, the towns and the landscape of the west. I am continually seeking to touch and understand the traditions and spirituality of this place... Like a pilgrim I enter ... seeking to learn and be transformed by the experience.

Of his rural towns, Nishimura writes: These photographs have arisen from my continuing interest in the Prairie experience, that is exploring the visual and associated qualities of experiencing the prairies - being born to, growing up on, developing a history within, and just plain living on the prairie. Semchishen sums it up by explaining For me the whole process is a combination of exploration and learning with the camera as my tool. Not only does it record my adventures but with it I have gained admittance to private and not so obvious segments of our culture.

They have each found a subject or subjects to which they have dedicated themselves - with amazing patience and dedication - for long periods of time. For Semchishen it is Eastern rite churches, trappers and monks, for Chrismas it is coal miners, for Webber it is the emptiness of the prairie and its small towns, and the spirituality of groups of prairie inhabitants such as First Nations reserves and Hutterite colonies, for Nishimura it is also the solemnity of prairie towns and sacred places, and for Palmer it is war veterans and members of the Order of Canada. These subjects all have strong elements of isolation, independence, self-reliance, strength, solidity, and dignity. Certainly none are faddish, hip, cliched or superficial.

It is remarkable that their continuing exploration of these commonplace lifestyles and the everyday landscapes have not resulted in stagnation, or flogging the proverbial dead horse. Each season, each series continues to be fresh through the innovative use of the camera, further knowledge and familiarity with the subjects, new approaches to the task, as well as experimentation with new technologies - and in the case of Chrismas and Palmer - other media altogether.

The five photographers possess a directness, unpretentiousness, and an honesty that is reflected in their images. Like their personalities, their camera work is thoughtful, careful, thoroughly professional and quietly unobtrusive. Generally they shoot exactly what is to be printed - they crop in the camera - not in the darkroom. Their cameras are, in every sense, direct extensions of their vision. Their resulting photographs (overwhelmingly but not exclusively black and white) are all clean and uncluttered, simple but not simplistic, accessible and uncompromisingly revealing. All five have an eye for the extraordinary that is frequently found within the ordinary. They shoot in solitude, and their images are best viewed and reacted to in solitude.

It is obvious that their imaging, over time, has become increasingly interior in nature - using scenery, portraiture and even computer-modified picture elements to connect with and represent another level of communication - a level of feeling. As Nishimura explains The intention... is to evoke the prairie experience rather than to create a visual catalogue of specific prairie locations. In this regard, and in spite of the fact that the photographic images are tightly bound to reality, the evocative, poetic qualities of the image are of primary consideration.

It is important to note that the five process and print their own work, and are craftsmen of the highest order. Although they play down the importance of their darkroom, computer, and technical skills, it is unlikely the subtleties and depth of their vision would be communicated so clearly without this aspect of their work having been mastered. All five admit that, in the words of Palmer, they follow [their] own muse and photograph for themselves first. However they feel that it is important to share their images with, and honestly listen to and genuinely value the reactions from viewers. Through this interaction, they have learned more about their own motives, their frameworks and their ways of seeing.

Their work is not just a historical or contemporary record, although it does succeed admirably and is exceptionally valuable on that level. It rises to the level of fine art because it is also interpretation of the highest order, it is judgement, it is criticism, it is visual decision -making, it is universality. More than that, it concerns itself with the larger and deeper questions of their subjects' and their own existence and spirituality, how they live, what is ultimately important to them, and how they perceive their relationship both to history and to the here and now.

All five have each several decades of experience, and as a result of this presence over time, they have all exhibited widely throughout Canada and the world. They have also been published extensively. They are regular contributors to photographic journals, and their work has been featured in numerous newspapers and magazines of literature, art, public affairs, politics, history and promotion. Between them, the five have published eight solo books, and contributed images to at least twenty five other books and art catalogues. In that other publishing realm, Palmer, Semchishen and Webber have all posted galleries of images on the Internet.

All are represented in the permanent collections of regional, national and international galleries, as well as corporate and private collections. Several have deposited series of prints or their negatives in archives in order to contribute to the enduring record. Most have taught or lectured or have passed on their experiences and knowledge to a younger generation - indeed Nishimura is a full time professor of photography with the University of Calgary's Art Department.

Their excellence has been recognized in many ways. Chrismas, Semchishen and Webber have all been inducted into the Royal Canadian Academy of Art, Palmer's work was chosen to open the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography in Ottawa in 1992, and both Nishimura and Chrismas have been awarded Canada Council grants to carry on their work.

The work and reputations of the five master photographers have placed them in the upper echelons of the prairie photographic community. If there were no other common denominator, they have all reached a certain level of maturity, confidence, and openness in their vision, and are undoubtedly at the nadir of their careers. They have nothing left to prove, and yet have no reason to cease. And if for some reason they do nothing else in the new millennium, they still have guaranteed themselves a prominent place in the pantheon of Canada's photographic history.

But their work will continue...

Brock Silversides
Photo-Historian
October 1999

More of Brock Silversides' work is posted at:

• http://www.bcbooks.com/bsilversides.htm