The Anything Goes Art Auction
Station Street Arts Centre: Vancouver

Greetings Cyberspacians, and welcome to another Keepers Of Light. Have you entered Photon '94 (International Teletimes' annual photography contest) yet? Well? Why not? Nifty prizes could be yours! Why not fill in your application now? (See end of this issue.)

We're in for a treat this month. We lucked out. The Station Street Arts Centre is holding their Anything Goes art auction this week, and several of Vancouver's best photographers have donated work for the show. The fund-raising event for the Fend Players theatre troupe has drawn the support of over fifty local artists who have donated works to be auctioned off at a gala party and dance this Friday evening (at time of writing).

 

                           "Ballerina" by Carmen Schmid

There are many beautiful works in the collection, and here are a few of them: "Ballerina" by Carmen Schmid is a delicious print, and the scanned image here can not do it justice. The original is a transfer print on rag paper, and the surface shimmers with the oily blue-black toner that this process provides. It is an excellent choice for this image. The image itself, of a dancer's leg, foot, and a wisp of costume is shadowy and mysterious. Strange runes criss-cross the ballerina's leg insinuating rituals ages old. It is a bold composition. From the dancer's gnarled toes at the bottom left, the leg rises diagonally across the frame cutting the inky black background in two. The pale costume licks out like a flame from the right. Very tasty.

 

                               "Untitled" by Paul Perchal

Also fit to eat is an "Untitled" work by Paul Perchal. This is an arresting image, and beautifully printed. A man faces the camera, his eyes closed, and his hands clasped before his face, as if in prayer. This well balanced, symmetrical composition is enhanced by the printing process, a blending of the image of the man, and one of what appears to be baked clay. The overall impression is of statuary, perhaps a stone Buddha. The warm-toned print itself is very good overall, but a slight lightening of density towards the bottom and bottom right mars the composition. This may have been due to enlarger falloff. A gentle burn of these areas would improve the overall balance.

 

"Untitled" by Tobi Asmoucha

Another "Untitled," this one by Tobi Asmoucha, is another fine piece. Here Tobi puts a moderately wide angle lens to good use in capturing the strong diagonals of the long, late afternoon shadows, the angled banisters, the masonry, and the structure of this village alleyway. I have no information about this print or it's setting whatsoever. Now that I think about it, that low sun could just as easily be rising as setting, but for some reason it feels more like evening to me. I like this simple scene. We watch a cat who watches an old man carefully make his way down the street. It's an excellent candid shot of everyday life. 

 

"Untitled" by Holger Herman

And now for something completely lovely. This "Untitled" print by Holger Herman is as a fine a classic studio nude as you're likely to find. The model reclines, her arms draped back as if luxuriously stretching. The whites of her skin tones and drapery contrast with the delicate dark patterns in the bed clothing and wrinkled folds of the gray backdrop. The printing is simply perfect, executed on a fine, high-silver, double weight fiber stock.

That's it for this month. Hope you enjoyed them. As always, the images presented in the Keepers Of Light are protected by copyright and are the property of their respective creators. The images presented here are provided for your personal enjoyment. Please do not alter or re-distribute them in any way. If you are interested in collecting original photographic prints, many of these (and those in the back issues of International Teletimes) are available for sale. If you have any comments on any of the work presented in Keepers Of Light we'd enjoy hearing from you. You may send your observations, advice, or one-time love gifts to: tt-photo@teletimes.com 

  - Kent Barrett, Vancouver, Canada
    tt-photo@teletimes.com