Latin American Photography - recap from AGO, Toronto

Beautiful Shot – used by AGO for the exhibition, by Rafael Goldchain, Itinerant Photographer’s Studio (Recuerdo), Coban, Guatemala, 1987.

A little belated to post a selection of Recuerdo – Latin American Photography from the AGO (May to October, 2025).  The show gave voices to the works of Manuel Alvarez Bravo (1902 - 2002), Graciela Iturbide (1942 - ) and Canadians like Larry Towell (1953 - ) and Michael Mitchell (1943 - 2020).

Much of the focus I took in the exhibition related to ancient and mythical architecture.  This had been the preoccupation of Frank Lloyd Wright, in particular, who sought with vigour a new architectural language in his career.  On this score, he earned a lot of admiration from me.  The same applies to those who strive to develop cultural identities of the Americas in other arts.

Of all the pictures, I am very fond of Mujer Angel, Sonoran Desert, Mexico, 1979 by Iturbide (the last picture here).  Not only does it embody ancient and contemporary vibes, I find it very moving that touches the very heart of my youthful years.

 

Annual Juried Exhibition 2026, Latcham Art Centre, Stouffville, ON

The Juror’s Talk hosted by Hannah Keating and Jeffery Nye on March 26 was exceedingly rewarding.  Not only was I able to exchange ideas with them (see picture over the discussion on my work), the get-to-know-each-other with fellow artists couldn’t be missed.

 

There were a number of good works of which I could only show but a few here.  All other pieces were by no means undistinguished.

 

Check out all works with artists’ statements at here: https://www.latchamartcentre.ca/exhibitions/. Credit: Some images courtesy of Latchman Art Centre.

 

The exhibition is open from Mar. 16 to Apr. 25, 2026.

 

Latcham Art Centre

The annual juried exhibition of Latcham Art Centre, Stouffville, ON. is on from Monday, March 16 to Saturday, April 25, 2026.  Many of the artworks chosen are contemporary and of high standard.

One of my works – Many Lives of Load-bearing is also on show.

 

Images source: www.instagram.com/latchamartcentre

 

Doors and Windows

 

Watch this blog for the finished artwork.

David Blackwood and True North

We are in the midst of the cold at the moment.   Let's dive deeper for tales told by our True North.  On show at AGO are etchings by Canadian artist and printmaker David Blackwood (1941-2022), who was born in Newfoundland and developed much of his career in Ontario.  It is the preoccupation with the stories and history in his childhood territory that inspired many of his works.  All of them are hauntingly beautiful.  The traits of his style and techniques, in particular aquatint, are unmistakable.  Of course, there are those etchings related to the landscape and built environment of the harsh territory that engulf me.

 

Titles of etchings shown in the order of display are here:

1.  April Iceberg off Bragg’s Island, 1976

2. John Stokes' Horse, Cape Freels, 2007

3. Fire down on the Labrador, 1980

4. Great Lost Party Adrift, 1971

5. The Flora S. Nickers in the Labrador Sea, 1982

6. Survivor Drafting, 1970

7. Great Lost Party Adrift, 1971

8. Uncle Eli Glover Moving, 1982

9. Abandoned Ancestors on the Bragg's Island, 1971

10. Autobiography, 2010