Sometimes, Often, Always: Contemporary Photography in Winnipeg, 1980 – Now.
Monday , 27 January 2014, 7:00-8:00 PM
Cinematheque Theatre, 100 Arthur Street
PLATFORM is pleased to welcome J.J. Kegan McFadden as the final presenter in the lecture series ACTIVE RESEARCH. The series was created as a way to investigate the idea of research as an active practice rather than as a passive model. Participants were chosen to reflect the Centre’s interest in cultural workers at various stages in their careers (emerging, mid-career, and established) in addition to their thought-provoking and experimental approaches to research. The series included Marina Roy from Vancouver, as well as Winnipeg’s Sigrid Dahle and Lancelot Coar. PLATFORM approached these cultural workers to offer treatises on their research methodologies and how it informs or relates to their current creative pursuits.
Sometimes, Often, Always offers an overview of contemporary photographic practices developed in Winnipeg over the past thirty years, taking into consideration the infrastructures such as the Department of Photography (U of M, est. 1974), The Winnipeg Photographers Group / The Floating Gallery (incorporated 1981, renamed PLATFORM centre for photographic + digital arts in 2003), and the WInnipeg Art Gallery exhibition and collection programs as essential grounds for training and supporting the key participants in the history.
Over the past year, McFadden has dedicated time to researching this history, attempting to outline its development, and identify key practitioners over the decades. The ultimate goal of this research is to recognize a multiplicity of practices, as well as name a school of predominant output.
“What Winnipeg has always been guilty of is not teaching its own (art) history. For too long we were always looking outward for validation, but in recent years with the reality of young Winnipeg artists making their names elsewhere, it seems we have missed an opportunity to properly recognize what came in the mean time.” writes McFadden.
J.J. Kegan McFadden was the Director/Curator of PLATFORM centre for photographic + digital arts in Winnipeg between 2007 and 2012 where he focussed on rigorous, thematic group exhibitions, commissioning new works by emerging artists, strengthening presentation networks nationally, and intensifying the Centre’s publishing program. His research into the history of contemporary photography in Winnipeg has been funded by Canada Council for the Arts’ Grants to Independent Curators as well as a Major Arts Grant by the Manitoba Arts Council.
All are welcome to attend this free lecture, taking place at the Cinematheque theatre from 7-8PM Monday, January 27th. There will be a small reception to follow in the gallery in order to recognize the conclusion of the lecture series and to wish Kegan farewell as outgoing Director/Curator.