The Image Journey Posts

My “Featured Member” exhibit at ViewPoint Gallery is a selection of photos covering my photographic journey from the late 1970s to the present day. The exhibit runs from Feb.1 – March 3, 2024.
I do social landscape photography and am interested in New Topographics—the human-altered landscape–recording how human behavior and activity has affected the world. I also look for whimsical scenes, as well as elements of surrealism found in everyday life. My work is firmly planted in the documentary tradition, getting photos through observation rather than through set-up and image manipulation. Photography keeps me in touch with the changing seasons and the passage of time. My images are intertwined with childhood memories, music, and locations around Hants County, Nova Scotia.
I got my start I photography in the late 70s at the Acadia University camera club, and I took photos for the school paper, The Athenaeum. After that, I studied photography at TMU (formerly Ryerson) in Toronto and worked for a time doing freelance jobs, as well as street photography.
Over the years I’ve learned always to carry a camera, and, even more important, to take time to study details of the world around me. In refining my vision and technique, I also strive for images that, I hope, carry some deeper meaning.
My work has been exhibited in Canada and, internationally, in France and China. It’s also featured online and in print: in blogTO, iNPUBLIC, the Toronto Star, the Japan Times, Eyeshot Magazine, Camera Canada, and Photo Life.
I have eight self-published photo books that are available online (through Blurb Books) and at the gallery.
In October 2023, I became a member of ViewPoint Gallery–a vibrant photo co-op with a group of talented photographers. It has been a pleasure connecting with like-minded people who are passionate about photography.
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City of Women, Edmonton, 1979 – © Avard Woolaver

I had a summer job on a railway gang in Alberta while studying at Acadia University. I started to explore the potential of street photography and using juxtaposition in my compositions.

Collage for Stephanie, 1980 – © Avard Woolaver

This collage is all about the transition from Wolfville, Nova Scotia, to a new life in Toronto. When we move to a new place, some things are kept while others are left behind.

Yonge Street Toronto, 1982 – © Avard Woolaver

I sometimes climbed fire escapes to get overhead views. After two years in Toronto, I felt comfortable going anywhere with my camera.

View of Mt. Fuji, Japan, 1992 – © Avard Woolaver

Mountain worshippers of the Shugendou religion watch the sunrise over Mt. Fuji.  I’d climbed the mountain two years earlier, but seeing the sunrise from this location was a more powerful experience.

Collingwood, Ontario 1995 – © Avard Woolaver

I found this birch bark in Algonquin Park on a canoeing trip, and used it as a mat. I always welcomed opportunities to get out of the city and into nature.

Escalators, Toronto, 1996 – © Avard Woolaver

I was still doing some of the adjacent frame diptych work that I started in 1982. I received two 12-exposure rolls of Kodak “Cosmos” 400 in a promotion, and this was shot on that rare and mysterious film.

Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia, 2010 – © Avard Woolaver and 2022 © –Jane Wilson

In 2010, I discovered Flickr and started posting photos online.  It started a renaissance in my photography that has continued for the past 14 years. I look for hooks to make my photos more interesting, like juxtaposition, scale, reflections, and unusual subject matter. My daughter Jane took some painting classes at NSCAD in 2022, and did a nice representation.

Summer, Truro, Nova Scotia, 2020 – © Avard Woolaver

Beauty and chaos in the modern world.  Interesting photos can be found anywhere–even in a McDonalds.

Viewpoint Gallery in Halifax, NS., Canada exhibits fine art photography. Viewpoint offers monthly exhibitions and a variety of photography focused events.

1475 Bedford Highway Unit 109, Bedford, NS  B4A 3Z5

 

 

 

 

 

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Every year ViewPoint Gallery welcomes new exhibiting members with a “NewPoints” exhibition that showcases their work. I am pleased to be part of this exhibition along with Craig Benjamin and Heather Rose. It runs from January 4th – 28th with an artist talk on January 14th. The gallery is located at 1475 Bedford Highway, Unit 109, Bedford, Nova Scotia.

My portion of the show, titled Found Fields, features ten photos from my recently released photo book, available at Blurb Books. Below are the  exhibit photos with their captions.

Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia, 2013 – © Avard Woolaver
This offers a bleak view of the present day—but with a hope that we can end our dependence on fossil fuels.

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Amherst, Nova Scotia, 2013 – © Avard Woolaver
A hope that renewable energy can lead us to a more sustainable world. This scene is reminiscent of Alex Colville’s 1954 painting Horse and Train; I think it’s the same location.

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And the forests will echo with laughter, Nova Scotia, 2011 – © Avard Woolaver
A nod to Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.” These kids were playing among the trees on Canada Day in Hantsport, NS, before the fireworks display.

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Tokyo, Japan, 2020 – © Avard Woolaver
The sheer density of buildings and people in Tokyo can be overwhelming, but there is no shortage of interesting things to look at.

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Hantsport, Nova Scotia, 2023 – © Avard Woolaver
This was the finale of a fireworks display. It was a joyous event that looks apocalyptic if you don’t know the context.

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Brooklyn, Nova Scotia, 2013 – © Avard Woolaver
Off to the right was a road called “Muddy Marsh Road.” It was closed over fifty years ago, and there is little evidence it ever existed. I have memories of driving on this road with my father in a pickup truck when I was about five years old. This image is nostalgic for me and gets at the the beauty and mystery of life.

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Scotch Village, Nova Scotia, 2023 – © Avard Woolaver
If we take the time to observe the world around us, there are interesting photos everywhere.

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Montreal, Quebec, 2023 – © Avard Woolaver
A reminder that art can be timeless. Leonard Cohen’s music and poetry will continue to touch people’s hearts as society evolves and changes.

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Wolfville, Nova Scotia, 2010 – © Avard Woolaver
I think of this photo as “Cross-walker.” It reminds me of Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line,” a song of fidelity and sobriety.

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Windsor Forks, Nova Scotia, 2015 – © Avard Woolaver
Religion still plays a big role in the lives of many people, especially in small rural communities where elderly people sometimes outnumber younger folks.

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NewPoints Exhibition, 2024

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NewPoints Opening, 2024 – © Avard Woolaver

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NewPoints Opening, 2024 – © Avard Woolaver

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NewPoints Poster, 2024 – © Avard Woolaver

Photography

My latest self-published photo book is titled Found Fields – available through Blurb Books.

Found Fields refers to my approach when taking photos: scenes found in my field of vision. Photographers often call it being a gatherer rather than a hunter—finding scenes by chance, rather than intentionally hunting them down. Many of my photos are taken during my daily routine, or just going somewhere ordinary. Of course, I’m attracted to novelty–going to new places, seeing new things. But I also love seeing familiar scenes, places that I have photographed many times before, and discovering once more that nothing ever looks the same way twice.

Over the years I’ve learned always to carry a camera, and, even more important, to take time to study details of the world around me. In refining my vision and technique, I also strive for images that, I hope, carry some deeper meaning.

The photos in this book show some themes that I have been exploring for a long time now (societal issues; climate change; the failure of capitalism), along with wonderment, and, sometimes, the sheer absurdity of life. I think of the photos collected here as being both optimistic and pessimistic, in roughly equal measure. Ultimately, though, I have a great deal of hope for the future, and I trust these images reflect that. Photography has always been magic for me, and the camera a loyal memory maker.

Found Fields
Photographs by Avard Woolaver
Softcover, 54 pages; 50 colour photos
20 x 25 cm / 8 x 10 in.

Halifax, Nova Scotia, 2022 – © Avard Woolaver

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Brooklyn, Nova Scotia, 2023 – © Avard Woolaver

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Windsor Forks, Nova Scotia, 2015 – © Avard Woolaver

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New Minas, Nova Scotia, 2012 – © Avard Woolaver

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Amherst, Nova Scotia, 2013 – © Avard Woolaver

Photography Social Landscape

In November 2023, I traveled to Toronto for the opening of “Hickox, Pahwa, Woolaver – Scenes from Toronto,” an exhibit at the City of Toronto Archives. The show features photos from the 1980s to the late 2000s, and explores how contemporary artists capture the ever-changing city. The reception was well attended and I had a chance to meet some interesting people, including Patrick Cummins–a former City of Toronto archivist.

My portion of the exhibit is a digital slide show with 250 images on 90 slides. The slides are shown at 7 second intervals. They are drawn from my collection of 700 digital images contained in the archives–primarily street photographs taken in the 1980s. There are also two vinyl enlargements of a street scene, and a phone booth on the wall beside the monitor. The curator of the exhibit, Naoise Dunne, did a wonderful job sequencing the images and identifying themes in my work. It an honour to have my photos in the City of Toronto Archives and I’ll mark this as a highlight in my photographic journey.

April Hickox’s photography documents the unique landscape of Toronto Island and seasonal changes.Vik Pahwa captures the city’s built environment, focusing on forms and shapes, creating abstract images. The three digital slide shows encourage viewers to explore the city through the photographers’ perspective and picture-making methods.

A second exhibit, “If These Walls Could Talk – Researching the history of where you live,” focuses on the unique stories of 11 homes. The exhibit opened on October 19, 2023 and runs until August 2024.

Monday to Friday, 9 a.m – 4 p.m. Free entry

City of Toronto Archives
255 Spadina Rd.
Toronto, ON M5R 2V3

Promo poster for “Hickox, Pahwa, Woolaver – Scenes from Toronto”

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Queen East and Parliament, Toronto, 1983 – © Avard Woolaver

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Pears Avenue, Ramsden Park, Toronto, 1984 – © Avard Woolaver

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Avard Woolaver with Vik Pahwa

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Avard Woolaver with exhibit curator, Naoise Dunne

Photography

I was fortunate to have a portfolio of my 1980s Toronto photos in the 2023 Pingyao International Photography Festival. The festival ran from September 19th to 25th in Pingyao, North China’s Shanxi province. Themed “New Light, New Orientation,” the six-day festival  attracted 13,961 works by over 2,000 photographers from 28 countries.

Photo courtesy of China Daily

Curator Don Snyder invited eight photographers to be part of “Image, Document, Memory: Photographs from Canada.” Here is his introduction to the exhibit:

Image, Document, Memory: Photographs from Canada

While thinking about images for the 2023 Pingyao Festival, my first goal was to select work that would be new to the audience in Pingyao. I also wanted to represent approaches to image-making that would range from traditional to highly experimental, and to exhibit photographs from many different parts of Canada.

I considered nearly 50 portfolios and selected eight photographers to invite. While their photographic styles are very different, common themes can be found that link the various portfolios together. Every photographer I spoke with told me they had been deeply affected by the pandemic, and that they had often turned to more personal image-making during this time. This is where the theme of “The Poetic Image” originated, exemplified by the photographs included here from Kendall Townend, Pierre Tremblay and Alexander Alter. These images deal with landscape, time and memory, and the inner workings of the imagination, utilizing methods and processes that blend the uniquely photographic with the composite, layered, and digital imagery.

Many photographers talked about developing a new appreciation for the workers in manufacturing and transportation–workers who kept people everywhere supplied and fed during times of lockdown. This is where the idea to include the portfolios about “Labor and Commerce” originated. Images from Workspace Canada, by Martin Weinhold, and 23 Days at Sea, by Christopher Boyne were chosen for this component of the exhibition.

For the portfolios in Part III, “Place and Culture”, several photographers I spoke with had found themselves reviewing personal archives and images from past years during the pandemic, drawn to explore photography’s unique ability to juxtapose past and present time. The sequences in this group were selected from Toronto Days and Toronto Flashback by Avard Woolaver, and from Kensington Market: Meditations on Home by Wayne Salmon. These portfolios examine the relationships between memory and present time, and between place and a sense of belonging.

Lastly, as an educator I was keenly aware of the changes the pandemic brought to the world of art education. “Making and Thinking: The Idea of a Photographic Workshop” is a group project produced by my colleague Rob Davidson and his students in a situation where they were unable to meet for in-person classes. The images made during this online workshop, available in either book or exhibition form, point to new possibilities for photographic education in an environment of networked communication, and make a strong case for this mode of teaching in the future.

Don Snyder

Here are the photos as they appeared in the exhibition:

Ontario Place, Toronto, 1982 – © Avard Woolaver

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Cherry Beach, Toronto, 1982 – © Avard Woolaver

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Night Scenes, Toronto, 1982 – © Avard Woolaver

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View from Robarts Library, Toronto, 1989 – © Avard Woolaver

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Front Street, Toronto, 1982 – © Avard Woolaver

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Gerrard Street East, Toronto, 1982 – © Avard Woolaver

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St. Clair and Keele, Toronto, 1982 – © Avard Woolaver

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Queen Street West, Toronto, 1982 – © Avard Woolaver

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Ontario Place, Toronto, 1982 – © Avard Woolaver

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Kensington Market, Toronto, 1983 – © Avard Woolaver

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Yonge and Gerrard, Toronto, 1994 – © Avard Woolaver

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Queen and Bathurst, Toronto, 1984 – © Avard Woolaver

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Yonge Street, Toronto, 1985 – © Avard Woolaver

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Winter Scenes, Toronto, 1985 – © Avard Woolaver

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Public Spaces, Toronto, 1985 – © Avard Woolaver

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The Shuffle Demons, Toronto, 1984 – © Avard Woolaver

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West Toronto Junction, Toronto, 1982 – © Avard Woolaver

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Street Vendor, Toronto, 1981 – © Avard Woolaver

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Kensington Market, Toronto, 1983 – © Avard Woolaver

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Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, 1998 – © Avard Woolaver

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