2nd Darkroom Early Photos

Well here are some shots of the space I will convert into a 2nd darkroom. As you can see not a lot great just yet but we will work towards the goal and turn it into something real nice and sweet. This room was my fathers former kitchen, he made breads, cakes, pyrogies, cabbage rolls, pies and so so much more in this room.

It has been sitting empty and unused for about the last 6 years. I started digging through everything and moving stuff around, it is now quite a mess. Dad always kept the room very clean, but now after 6 years unused, its very rough. I have some of my stuff crammed into the room as well, a light table, processor etc. Now this space will become mine, it will allow me to make platinum prints, wet plate photographs, and gelatin silver stuff. I also plan to rent out the darkroom and use it for photography workshops I will be teaching.

First thou, LOTS AND LOTS OF WORK AHEAD OF ME!! Will start the painting soon and will bring in a plumber to hook up the sinks (small plastic darkroom job and the big stainless steel one below).

Note* It is hard to move dads stuff out and my stuff in. I keep thinking dad was the last one to touch this. He placed everything where it was, now I am moving it, changing HIS ROOM around! I think thou that my father would be happy that the house and his room are being used again. The first photos I do in platinum will be a tribute to my father, his last year of life. The large group of photos I made of him just before he left us. Will try Paltinum-Palladium printing some of the earlier pics I made of dad as well.

After my digging through cupboards and moving stuff, the room is a mess! 

Proving That Angry Person Wrong

Several years ago an angry person I knew well attacked the photographic work I was doing quite harshly. He told me that my photography would never amount to anything and that photographs did not have any power to truly move people or cause positive change. I am glad recent events have proven that fellow wrong.  I have have always believed that photography can be a powerful instrument, that helps people in need.  I am so happy a tiny bit of that is now happening. Lets keep the ball rolling and keep up the fight! Lets ignore the negative people and follow our hearts to a better tomorrow.

Update* If truth be told there were actually two fellows saying basically the same thing to me at two different times. Gosh, it was rather depressing to hear at the time,  thou it was very motivating, trying to prove them wrong. Am glad I moved away from those type people and  on to more positive and supportive friends. Some folks just see the world with so much pessimism. The strange part were they were both part time photogs who did not truly believe in the over all power and importance of photography.

Another Donation!! For "The Families of the Dump"

Got some more good news today. On the last day of the Penticton Art Gallery exhibition a donation of $50 was given to the families from a couple from Spruce Grove Alberta (not to far from Edmonton). Thanks so much to G and R, the kind people who gave this recent gift. The grand donation told for next trip has cleared the $400 mark and sits at $410 CAD. Am hoping to raise $1000 CAD before I leave Canada to continue the work, hopefully in around May of 2019.

Note* Just sent G and R a note thanking them for their generosity.

This is part of the kind note I got from Paul the curator at the PAG.

--------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Gerry

Thanks again for your conviction and your powerful body of work. On the last day of the exhibition I had a couple come in from Spruce Grove and they we so moved by your work and efforts they donated $50 to your efforts. I told them we would send it to you and I would also send you their address so you can reach out to them as I think they would love to know more about your continuing efforts. 

Paul -------
-------------------------------------------------------------------

The New Darkroom, How To Set It Up?

Well I am on my week off after a tough busy shutdown week at work. This morning I went to shovel the snow at Mom/Dads home (now my home I guess). Then went downstairs to dads old kitchen where he cooked for the Strathcona Farmers Market for over 25 years.  I moved things about, took things out in the hallway and generally tried to figure out what works for my 2nd darkroom and what does not.

As I was doing this I was overcome with sadness, thinking of dad. He spent so many hours in that place, working so many hours, and now I was tearing it apart. I felt guilty, unworthy and just damn sad. I wish I could just give it all back to my father, and which he could continue to make his breads, pyrogies, cabbage rolls, pies and cakes. I wish he could live in that house forever, doing what he loved to do, which was to be a cook, and to make delicious foods.

That is never going to happen thou, my dad is gone forever, I will never watch how effortlessly he did his thing. He made preparing food, cooking and baking, look so damn easy. I will never again hear him laugh as he told me a funny story as he worked.

I so miss the sound of his voice.

Some of the things I think I can use from dads old kitchen include.

- A large unhooked up metal double restaurant style sink (will get a plumber to connect it up).
- A smaller white enamel sink with older spray gun (still working?)
- Multiple large tables of various types, some quite nice others not sot nice
- 3 deep freezers. One freezer is already loaded with much of my film, paper stock.
- A large metal garbage can
- A large metal movable rack
- Multiple type stands and shelving
- 2 large wall mounted cupboards
- Various mixing spoons and metal, glass containers, trays, pails etc
- 2 old large microwaves
- An old wall mounted grab lab time. Dad got it from me to time his baking, he liked the loud ringing buzzer.

I also have in my own collection of useful tools, mostly bought as backups. Everything I need to use in the 2nd darkroom.

- 7 different enlargers of varying types
- Tons of trays from 8x10 to 20x24
- Extra small type print washers of various styles
- Various types of safe lights, timers, lens, focusing devices, developing tanks etc.
- I also have 2 types of older plastic sinks, one that comes which its own stand which I plan to hook up first. The other one I would need to adapt a cupboard of some type.
- I also have a large tube tank like developing device that can do huge prints
- I have a Cibachrome processor, large machine (working?)
- Many old Jobo type units that might still work
- 2 different high quality densitometers
- 2 different types of light tables, one a free standing large table
- A large metal filing cabinet
- The list of useful gear goes on and on and on some more

I need to figure out how to design and set up the darkroom. Where to position the tables, enlargers, UV exposure device, sinks etc. Will do some of that this week. It will be great to have a large darkroom space to do my wet plate and platinum printing in. Also if I can rent the darkroom out now and again and do some teaching their to make extra money, it would be a nice bonus. That money will become more important when I leave my security years in the coming years.

I also need to paint the rental suite in the house this week. I got to rent out the room as soon as I can. Got to fix the toilet and replace that as well. Need to make some money to support mom and dads large house, taxes, insurance, bills of all kinds need to be paid.

Quote: Danny Kaye (Actor, Comedian)

"Life is a great big canvas; throw all the paint you can at it."

2nd Darkroom Build Starting

Will start to work on my 2nd darkroom this next week off. Now that I have a nice UV exposure unit, I need a place to set it up and uses it! I plan on using this darkroom for wet plate, platunum printing, for workshops-teaching and as a rental darkroom. Photos of the build to follow.

Touring Exhibition?, Maybe!

There is a chance that there couldt be a touring exhibition  of the Penticton Art Gallery shows. "Families of the Dump" might be a packaged together with Greg Constantine's Rohingya photos and sent on a tour (not sure what kind). Not sure if it will happen, do not know any possible details. Right now it is all a big MAYBE. Hope it does happen, it would help raise awareness into the ethnic peoples of Burma, the genocide of the Rohingya ethnic group and the story of the Mon-Karen people who live and work he Mae Sot dump.

If the combined photographs could travel as an exhibition to other galleries, that would be simply wonderful! It is Paul Cs, idea, the curator of the PAG. He wrote that the Penticton Art Gallery exhibitions have been doing well and that he believes a combined traveling exhibition would have legs and interest.

Hope, hope this happens!

Facebook: Platinum Printing Hopes

from Facebook.

Gerry Yaum

After 40 years in photography am finally learning to do Platinum-Palladium printing. Been looking for a UV exposure unit of some kind for a few months now. Many suggestions from you folks in the group, thanks for that.

Got a bit lucky today. Last night during my security night shift I bumped into a kijiji advert for a large silkscreen UV unit. Contacted the seller and this morning after work raced down to get it. Cost was only $25 CAD ($19 USD). It measures approximately 24 inches x 36 inches, have not had time to get the measuring tape out yet. I am still in the market for a Nuarc 26-1K or 1Ks but those are difficult to find and even more difficult to ship to my lonely outpost in Edmonton.

The plan with this platinum work is to make prints from the Thai-Burmese....FAMILIES OF THE DUMP series and hopefully sell a few prints. Then I will use the money to buy goods for the families (medicines, boots, headlamps etc) on my next trip to Thailand.

Lots yet to learn on the platinum curve yet, will start working on digital negs next week. I will be asking lots of questions of the folks here, hope thats OK. Thanks in advance for any help you can give. Here is the $25 CAD UV unit and a few of the dump Family Photos. This "Families of the Dump" series is an ongoing project dating back to 2013, I just returned in April 2018 from 4 months at the dump, plan to head back around May 2019, have $360 donation money raised so far. I hope the Platinum, Platinum-Palladium or Palladium prints will tell the story of the families in even a better more personal and sadly beautiful way.

Platinum Printing Buy: Bostick&Sullvan

Ordered my first sets of Platinum-Palladium printing chemistry from Bostick&Sullivan. Expensive stuff but well worth it I think. The cost was $501.60 USD. Shipping was $61 USD via the cheapest version of USPS postal mail.

I decided to first try Bostick&Sullivan's recommended digital negative Na2 Platinum-Paladium kit and also purchased a straight warmer tone Paladium kit. After I play with these over the winter, printing my digi negs of past work I can either continue with these kits or move on to a straight Platinum kit or a traditional Platinum-Paladium kit.

The 2 kits I bought

Note* Bostick&Sullivan was the company kind enough to donate funds to help the "Families of the Dump" They are really good people.
Bostick&Sullivan Donation Blog Story

Platinum Printing Buy: A Good Quality Used UV Exposure Unit

I managed to pick up a UV exposure unit locally at an extremely good price of $25. It measures in at about 24"x 36", is second-third hand but in good shape. The one drawback is that it does not have a vacuum unit and I will be forced to use contact printing frames to make my Platinum/Paladium, Platinum or Paladium prints.

I feel quite lucky to have a professionally manufactured unit and not some small, crude, hand made, half assed type thing that kinda works and mostly of does not work. I have photo friends who went all cheapo when it came to UV exposure units, they usually have nothing but problems with their contraptions. When your spending all that money on platinum chemistry, why use crap UV Units to expose the prints? It makes no sense.

I will keep an eye out for a high end Nuarc 26-1K or Nuarc 26-1Ks vacuum exposure unit and purchase one when it eventually becomes available. For now I will use my $25 beauty. Maybe this is all I will need.

Update* As a bonus the seller threw in a nice little IKEA table, thank you Graham!

My new-used UV exposure unit, 24x36 inches

New Photo Project Idea: The Residential Schools Of Canada (Tentative Title TEARS)

After hearing the painful story of a Facebook friend I have been thinking all day of the abusive and life destroying Residential School System in Canada. Thankfully this particular system of abuse has ended but the victims continue to suffer. It is important this story, their story, is told. As a privileged person from the white majority I knew almost nothing about the schools, the abuse, the terror of it all. The physical, mental and sexual abuse that was the Residential school system needs to be yelled out to the rest of Canada and the world. People need to hear about the effect the schools had on so many. Only then can those damaged be understood better and helped and only then can we prevent this from ever happening again.

The idea is to create a book-exhibition (could it be called TEARS, TRAIL OF TEARS, not sure of a title just yet). The book-exhibition would contain:

- Pictures of the left over schools, remnants of those worlds
- Portraits of the victims
- A written history of the residential school system
- Personal first person accounts from the victims, telling their stories in their words.
- During the exhibitions we could do a talks on the subject and bring in victims to tell their stories. Having the victims as speakers, the people in the portraits face to face with the gallery visitors, would be owe so human,  it could slap the majority out of their indifference, it might lead to positive change.

Who knows something like this might be beneficial in many unknown ways.

If this idea worked and if the book could get published and sold, all money earned would be donated to an organization (not sure which) that helps Residential School victims.

My project idea is simple but oh so difficult to achieve. How can I possibly get people from the affected communities to trust me? To allow me into their lives, to let me share their most painful and hidden memories? This book is probably impossible to do. Probably reaching to high again.

Note* The term TRAIL OF TEARS has a very painful and deadly indigenous peoples history.
Trail of Tears 

Quote: Albert Einstein

"Nationalism is an infantile disease. As a citizen of Germany I saw how excessive nationalism, can spread like a disease, bringing tragedy to millions. I am against any nationalism even in the guise of mere patriotism. Privileges based on position and property have always seemed to me unjust and pernicious, as did any exaggerated personality cult."

Quote: Paul Strand

“It is one thing to photograph people. It is another to make others care about them by revealing the core of their humanness.”

Quote: Martin Luther King Jr.

"We need leaders not in love with money but in love with justice. Not in love with publicity but in love with humanity."

Link: How Warhol Did Silkscreen Art

Found this video last week. Wouldn't it be cool to be able to create like this!!
How Andy Warhol Did His Silkscreens

Possible Silkscreen Burner Buy

Went to see a very large silk screen burner today at a shop here in Edmonton. If we can make a deal I might buy the unit to do Platinum printing and also silk screening. There are issues with the machine It is so large I would have to dissemble it and the re assemble it so I can get it through the house doors. The burn unit would also require a 20 amp cable-plug so I might have to call in a electrician or use an adapter or adapaters (safe?) in a 220v 40amp stove plug. Dad has 3 of those 220v plugs in the basement because he had 3 stoves running at one point while working the farmers market (dad worked so so hard all his life).

They wanted $575 for the unit plus a bunch of silk screen printing supplies. Because I might have to call in an electrician and also because I will have to do lots of work taking the thing apart (might not work later) and re assembling in the house I offered $275-$300. I hope they go for it, I will use the burner to make silk screen art (that will be fun) and also platinum prints (super fun). I plan on trying to sell the platinum prints to raise money to help the families in the dump. They are relying on me, I hope this works out. The platinum print work could lead to making children smile. What is better than that?

This silkscreen burner, if can get the deal done, if I can get it assembled in the house and if I can power it up will do LARGE prints. I should be able to do up to around 29 inches x 50 inches.

Update* Looks like a no go, the shop will not go below $500, I do not want to pay more than $400 as there are too many unknowns whether this will work for me. I also can buy almost 17 pairs of boots with $100 to help the families in the dump.

Atlas A&M Exposure Unit

Quote: Carl Bernstein (Watergate Reporter, Pulitzer Prize Winner)

"We have had presidents in the past who have lied, there's no question about that. But what we have never had is a president of the United States who uses lying and untruth as a basic method to promote his policies, his beliefs and his way of approaching the American people and engaging in the world."

Quote: Red Cloud (Oglala Lakota Leader)

“Whose voice was first sounded on this land? The voice of the red people who had but bows and arrows. [...] What has been done in my country I did not want, did not ask for it; white people going through my country. [...] When the white man comes in my country he leaves a trail of blood behind him. [...] I have two mountains in that country--the Black Hills and the Big Horn Mountain. I want the Great Father to make no roads through them.”

Quotes: Martin Luther King Jr.

"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."

We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/martin_luther_king_jr

 "We must live together as brothers or perish together as fools."

We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/martin_luther_king_jr

We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/martin_luther_king_jr

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/martin_luther_king_jr

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/martin_luther_king_jr

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/martin_luther_king_jr

Quote: John Kerry (American Soldier And Senator)

“I saw courage both in the Vietnam War and in the struggle to stop it. I learned that patriotism includes protest, not just military service.”

Quote: Joachim von Ribbentrop (Nazi Germany Foreign Minister)

Von Ribbentrop's final words before being hanged for war crimes, Nuremberg Germany October 1946.

"God protect Germany. God have mercy on my soul. My final wish is that Germany should recover her unity and that, for the sake of peace, there should be understanding between East and West. I wish peace to the world."

Quote: John Wayne

"You're going to think I'm being corny, but this is how I really feel: I hope my family and my friends will be able to say that I was an honest, kind and fairly decent man."

Another PAG Opening News Story Link

Found another link to the newspaper story written for the "Families of the Dump" Penticton Art Gallery show. I think this is the 5th syndication website link variation I have found. It is interesting how these type news stories are fed through a chain of outlets. I hope this write up stays online for several years, helping to spread the stories of the families.

https://www.bclocalnews.com/news/penticton-art-gallery-explores-life-on-the-margins-of-society/ 

Silk Screening? Creative Work

I had an idea to do silk screening photographic art tonight. Not sure anything will come of this but the creative possibilities are very exciting. I have a lifetime of negatives I could work with (that goes for Platinum printing as well). With mom and dads home now available for me to use, I have the space for things like this, a platinum printing darkroom, a silk screen workshop etc. Another gift from my great parents, the chance to create in their home.

Another Platinum Printing Buy: Pictorico Pro Ultra Premium OHP Transparency Film

Another free shipping order from B&H photo in New York. This time got me some "Pictorico Pro Ultra Premium OHP Transparency Film". I will be using this stuff to make digital negatives on my Epson P-800 printer. Picked me up 3x20 sheet boxes of 8.5x11 and 1x20 box of 11x17 transparency film for $125.85 USD.

B&H Photo Link To Pictorico Transparency Film

Pictorico Pro Ultra Premium Transparency Film

Platinum Printing Buy #2, Hahnemühle Platinum Rag Fine Art Paper (8 x 10", 25 Sheets)

Got me some paper to play with as well, highly recommended by at least one platinum printer. I will give it a try and then move on from there. Either getting something new or sticking to this paper in 8x10 or larger sizes as needed. Picked up this paper from B&H for $32.34 USD (with free shipping) I bought  packages for a total of 50 sheets. That should give me enough paper to decide if I like the look of it or not.

B&H Link To Hahnemuhle Platinum Rag Art Paper
Best Platinum Printing Papers

Hahnemhle Platinum Rag Art Paper

Platinum Printing Buys Start

I am starting to gather the gear I need to do Platinum printing. So to start off those buys got me a 2 inch brush that cost a bit less then $40 CAD. From what I have read this is supposed to be one of the top rated platinum printing brushed available.

Note* With my Thai trip done, and with the PAG exhibition stuff completed I now have time to dive into Platinum printing and Wet Plate photography!!

da Vinci 5080 2 inch brush

Quote: Stephen Hawking

"There is no God. No one directs the universe. For centuries, it was believed that disabled people like me were living under a curse that was inflicted by God, I prefer to think that everything can be explained another way, by the laws of nature."

Quote: Benjamin Franklin

"We are all born ignorant, but we must work hard to remain stupid."

Quote: Samurai Maxim

"Even a hunter cannot kill a bird that flies to him for refuge."

3 New Photos From 2017, "Families Of The Dump"

Took a computer and smaller scanner to my mom and dads home and set it up last night. Here are 3 new Tri-x 35mm film scans from the dump, shot in October 2017. These photos were taken in October 2017 before I started the night color work.

Untitled #1, Mae Sot Thailand 2017

Untitled #2, Mae Sot Thailand 2017

Untitled #3, Mae Sot Thailand 2017

Quote: Peter Lorre (Actor)

According to Vincent Price, when he and Peter Lorre went to view Bela Lugosi's body during Bela's funeral, Lorre, upon seeing Lugosi dressed in his famous Dracula cape, quipped,

"Do you think we should drive a stake through his heart just in case?".

Quote: Martin Luther King

“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.”

A Second Darkroom

Will be setting up a second darkroom, in the house I grew up in. After losing dad in 2015, and with mom in an assisted living home now, their house is empty. Strange how things work, when I was younger I always thought it would be so nice to live in my mom and dads big beautiful home. Now all these years later I just wish dad and mom could live there forever. The house lies empty and I am afraid to move in, afraid to live there, to be there. When I am in the house I can only think of my mother and father, so many memories.  We could sell the home but how do you do that? My father loved the place so much, it was his pride and joy, how can we just put it on the market forget about it. It is too painful to do that, am too sentimental to do that. I love the house also.

I figured the best way to do things was to set up a 2nd darkroom in the basement of the house and to try and live there for a few years. Will rent out the darkroom space, and also use it for Wet Plate photographs and Platinum printing. 

Here is what my current darkroom looks like, WAY TOO MUCH STUFF, need more room. I spent the night developing film from Thai and the recent vacation to the BC.

The first darkroom tonight

Another Link To PAG Show Story

Found another syndicated link to the story Steve Kidd wrote about the PAG Exhibition.
https://www.summerlandreview.com/news/penticton-art-gallery-explores-life-on-the-margins-of-society/

Winter Is Here

Last year at this time I was preparing for 6 months in Asia and a bunch of adventures. This year it will be a long winter of snow and ice. Not, NOT looking forward to that.

View from the guardhouse tonight, first snow

Quote: Jeremy Irons

What he would tell his younger self if he could.

"Take a little bit more care of your friends."

Quotes: Mohandas K. Gandhi

“Hatred ever kills, love never dies. Such is the vast difference between the two. What is obtained by love is retained for all time. What is obtained by hatred proves a burden in reality for it increases hatred." 

"Retaliation is counter-poison and poison breeds more poison. The nectar of Love alone can destroy the poison of hate." 

"The real love is to love them that hate you, to love your neighbor even though you distrust him."

"God is Light, not darkness. God is Love, not hate. God is truth, not untruth. God alone is great.

"Hatred can be overcome only by love."

“The enemy is fear. We think it is hate; but it is really fear.”

Quote: Martin Luther King Jr.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/martin_luther_king_jr_101472

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/martin_luther_king_jr_101472

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/martin_luther_king_jr_101472

HOW MUCH IS COKE?

Probably should not be making fun of this, but could not help myself, too funny. 'GIVE ME COKE, PLEASE GIVE ME COKE, HOW MUCH IS THIS?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sysf15OwYjU 

3 New-Used Minox Cameras

Some how I ended up with 3 Minox cameras (one damaged), they should be fun to play with. Need to get used to the zone type focusing. The compactness of these things will be good. Going to do some testing this week. The cameras were cheap to buy, all plasticky but have heard good things. Will carry one everywhere I go. Plan on getting a Minox system flash as well. This might be a tool to use in situations where you want to be a bit more quiet and secretive in your shooting. And if someone wants to steal it, hand it over, only about $40-50 USD.

Minox cameras times 3

Quote: Friedrich Nietzsche

"And those who were seen dancing, were thought to be crazy, by those who could not hear the music."

Quote: John Cusack (Actor)

"You think about the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who have died and all the soldiers who have come back wounded and maimed. You read the paper and four more soldiers last week died and mercenaries have killed 27 people in Baghdad, mercenaries who are getting money from our tax dollars that should be going to protect the troops, and I'm depressed about the Cubs game. There's a disconnect there. My point in all seriousness is that it's such an abstraction, and this government has asked us to sacrifice nothing for this. The troops are sacrificing everything. It just seems like an obscenity."

Two Amazing Noble Peace Prize Winners

Truly amazing people who stood up for what's right against unimaginable horrors. Will try to find Ms. Murad's autobiography “The Last Girl.”

Update: The book is available at the Edmonton Public Library for those interested.

NY Times story on these amazing human beings

Facebook: St. Albert Gazzette Story REPLAY

Gerry Yaum

Just had a little Facebook interaction with the writer Scott Hayes who works for the St. Albert Gazette. A while back in 2017 he wrote an article about some photographs we had showing at the St. Albert Art Gallery. The subject was the last year of my fathers life as he fought with Pancreatic Cancer. Thought I would share that article as well.

We have shown dads photos 3 times and each time people at the openings have pulled me aside and shared their own cancer and health related stories. People tell me of their mother or father, their sister or friend who have died as a result of Cancer, Alzheimer's etc. Dads pics allow others to share, to open up and discuss. The exhibitions became a bit of a healing thing. I am sure dad would have liked that.

Thank you Scott, for the work you do.

https://www.stalbertgazette.com/article/developing-healing-20170830 

Photographing The Bad Parts Of Canada And Canadian History

Thinking of the coming photo project KANATA about the country of Canada. I want to photograph and tell stories about all aspects of the country both the good and bad, the beautiful and ugly.

Some of the ugly-bad Canada story subjects (not exactly sure how to photograph these) might be:

- Indian residential schools, and the victims
- Life on Canadian Indigenous reservations
- Japanese internment camps during WWII
- Chinese laborers working the Canadian Railway lines.
- Involuntary medical testing-experimentation, homes for the mentally ill (abuses) etc.
- Pollution, environmental damage (Fort McMurray tar sands?)

One of the ideas being I could speak to these subjects as the pictures come up during the artist talks. Canadians need to know more about the sometimes bad history of Canada. Only then will those type of things never happen again.

Quote: Nicholas Flood Davis ( “Report on Industrial Schools for Indians and Half-Breeds,” 1879.)

“...[I]f anything is to be done with the Indian, we must catch him very young. The children must be

kept constantly within the circle of civilized conditions.”

 

Nicholas Flood Davin, “Report on Industrial Schools for Indians and Half-Breeds,” 1879.

Story About The Exhibition In The Vernon Morning Star Newspaper, Penticton Western News And The Kelowna Capital News

This is a bit unnerving, I did not read the entire story, just a bit here and there, it makes me too squeamish. I am happy thou that the story of the families is being told. Hopefully this leads to a bit more fundraising to help the people, especially the lovely children working the garbage.

Thank you Steve Kidd  and the "Vernon Morning Star" for the wonderful job you did (the parts I glanced at were good).

https://www.kelownacapnews.com/news/penticton-art-gallery-explores-life-on-the-margins-of-society/
https://www.vernonmorningstar.com/news/penticton-art-gallery-explores-life-on-the-margins-of-society/
https://www.pentictonwesternnews.com/news/penticton-art-gallery-explores-life-on-the-margins-of-society/

Penticton Art Gallery explores life on the margins of society

Photographer documents life in a Thai garbage dump

• Steve Kidd
• Sep. 30, 2018 5:00 p.m.

Gerry Yaum’s exhibition, Children of the Dump, is on until Nov. 4 at the Penticton Art Gallery. Steve Kidd/Western News

Can you imagine your definition of a better life as living in a landfill, picking through the trash to find items you can sell?
For a group of Burmese refugees living in Thailand, about 400 people in 50 family groups, that’s what they’ve found after fleeing political persecution and economic hardship.

In Forgotten Laughter: Children of the Dump, social documentarian Gerry Yaum shares photographs he has been creating in Thailand’s Mae Sot dump since 2013. The works are on display in the Project Room at the Penticton Art Gallery until Nov. 4.
The earliest images show the struggle of the people as they tried to survive in the dump, while later images are more intimate, painting a fuller picture of the lives of the people who are making a life while surrounded by trash.
“When I went to the dump the first time, it threw me. I was covered in flies, it was hot as heck, sweating, no hat, all these white bags were reflecting light into my eyes. I just felt really uncomfortable,” said Yaum. “Initially I photographed the people there like victims, people that were suffering.”
As time went on, he said he came to understand that the dump at least offered a chance for families to grow, to make money and build up their lives, at least in a small degree.
“For me, the dump sort of changed. I think that is why the photographs changed too, said Yaum. “I realized the dump was not a terrible place, it provides work.”
He doesn’t downplay the abject conditions. He relates how excited one of the people would be when they found a few forgotten coins in a discarded purse or bag.
One image Yaum showed during his Artist’s Talk at the gallery Saturday was of two boys using an old fender from a vehicle to toboggan down a hill of trash.
“It helped them feel good for an hour,” he said.
Another image shows a pretty little girl, her head shaved because of lice, a big smile on her face, clutching a donated doll that Yaum had just given her.
It’s that kind of moment, he said, that help him deal with the tragedy around him.
“You’re making a kid smile, that’s got to feel good,” said Yaum.
Yaum has returned to the Mae Sot dump over and over, becoming involved in the lives of the families and doing what he can to help make their lives easier and bring a little joy.
“My first day I was there, I showed up with two food bags that I gave to people,” said Yaum. “This last trip, in 2018, we raised $4,300 Canadian and we bought rubber boots, headlamps, toys for the kids, lollipops, all kinds of things that would help the people.”
As the images are exhibited, Yaum is also donating some of his artist fees.
“So the pictures were helping the people, that was a really beautiful thing,” said Yaum. “I would buy rubber boots, I would buy headlamps and I would head out on my motorbike and make more pictures.”
Donations to help the children and families of the dump can be made at eyestoburma.org. Yaum’s blog can be found at gerryyaum.blogspot.com.
Forgotten Laughter is one of four shows on at the Penticton Art Gallery right now. In the Toni Onley Gallery, Greg Constantine is showing Exiled to Nowhere: Burma’s Rohingya, documenting the human rights abuses suffered by this Muslim minority living in Burma.
Joshua Van Dyke’s Trace Marks is on display in the Bench 1775, mapping digital data of the contraction of B.C.’s woodland caribou herds into three dimensions, and exploring how the data moves between digital and analog space.
The annual Mental Health Exhibition is on in the Education Space.

Photo Things To Do

With the PAG show over now, my 6 months in Thai well over and my mothers health situation stabilizing and safe. I now have time to do some NEW things, photo related.

1) Want to make up 4 different submission packages and submit the work to multiple galleries. I have no shows on the horizon, time to work to get at least one. The 4 submission subjects to each gallery  will be (unless the chose gallery has previously exhibited the work). I need to tell more stories.

    - "Sex Worker Portraits

    - "My Fathers Last Days" My fathers fight with Pancreatic cancer.

    - "Kodoku" solitude in Japan

    - "Families of the Dump" 5 years of shooting to choose from, the 5x7 work? the colour work? 120?
        35mm?

2) I will make a hard copy mock up autobiographical book, no holds barred, of my life in photography. Will let the fur fly, maybe it can be published after my death.

3) Lots of film to develop from Thai trip, as well as recent shots made with the Speed Graphic and Stereo, Blad Panoramic cameras.

Quote: John Riggins (NFL Hall Of Famer)

"He came to play!"