Nice But Frustrating

I got a nice note from Rob W, the writer of the article in FRAMES photography magazine on "Ethics" that included 3 of THE FAMILIES OF DUMP PHOTOGRAPHS.

Here is the comment.

Here are the photographs in the story.

What I find frustrating is that every now and again I get a comment like this about the work from some higher up person in the world, educated, in power somewhere. This has happened quite a few times through the years. But when I make submissions of the same work to art folk in power, at the various top end Canadian Galleries and Museums, I most often do not even get an acknowledgement that they received or viewed the photographs. They seem to not have the time to even view the photographs, or maybe they just don't give a f-ck about the stories, about the lives shown. For many in the high end arty fart world,  social documentary images of truth and reality mean nothing. They only like or care about the wannabe high brow, selfish, Me Me Me, conceptional art.  Who gives a f-ck about some dip shit, arrogant artist, who is only concerned, only cares about themselves. The real people in this world matter more, their lives, their stories. Those are the  lives/works that should be hung.

Places like the Art Gallery Of Alberta (AGA) or the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO)completely ignore the dump story. Other places like the Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG) do write back, are encouraging but then say they have only an Indigenous Art mandate, and cannot show the photographs. Others like the Vancouver Art Gallery or the National Gallery in Ottawa, do communicate a bit, but things do not really move foreword, interest stops. So frustrating on many levels. At least the NGA, WAG, VAG write back. The AGA and the AGO could not give a rats ass. 

My goal since I started photography 40+ years ago has always been to have the work shown in Major Canadian galleries, to have the photo stories told to large Canadian audiences, to have the photographs collected for future generations of Canadians to view. The frustration I feel, is that the photographs always seem to be impressing the wrong people. The people in the galleries could care less but other people who are not in power, are moved, the photographs have an effect, the lives shown in the pictures matter to them. The rejections from the major Canadian galleries hurt. I always feel that I have failed my subjects, I have I have let them down. Their stories are being ignored because I cannot communicate their message well enough with my limited talent and skills.

Maybe someday a major show at a major museum will happen, heck I should have at least 20 years of life left😋. Am running out of time thou!! Lets move things forward, PLEASE.  I hope someday the eyes of the people in the photographs I make will be seen by large Canadian audiences, that is the dream. Then I can know a positive difference was made to help others, that my time spent and my life lived, mattered.

At least the people in Fredericton care, the UNB shows at their art centre are moving forward. I am most happy I can use some of the money earned (CARFAC artist fee) to donate and buy things for the families. The goal as always is to help the people in the pictures, the coming to UNB shows will allow that to happen. So these coming shows are wins,  all around positive wins. 

- Two exhibitions of large prints, telling the stories to larger audiences.

- An artist talk to educate and inform the gallery viewers.

- Donation of goods bought with the show money to the families. As a result of these UNB exhibitions children in the dump will get boots, families will have headlamps to work with, kids will get some candy and mothers will get some rice to cook with. 

ALL GREAT STUFF, so stop your whining Gerry 😃.