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111 West Coast Literary Portraits
Photographers, Barry Peterson and Blaise Enright began photographing writers in the late 1990s. They spent more than two years travelling parts of B.C. to meet and capture over 60 great portraits. They met authors like Alice Munro, Max Wyman, William Deverell, Phyllis Webb, P.K. Page, Wade Compton, Brian Brett, Evelyn Lau, the late Jane Rule, Al Purdy, Eric Nicol, and Robin Blaser.
Stan Persky was photographed in front of a Leonardo di Caprio picture on his bulletin board; W.P. Kinsella didn't mind having a bandage on his finger in his portrait because he said he was feeling wounded; Susan Musgrave made faces at the camera with her daughters. These are just three of the B.C. authors represented in this extraordinary book of photographs that aren't just ordinary studio photos.
Peterson and Enright's photographs became part of a travelling show titled 'Lit Happens' that was exhibited in many public spaces, including the Vancouver International Writers Festival, The Pendulum Gallery, Word on the Street, BC Book Prizes, SFU Reckoning Conference, Comox Valley Art Gallery, BC Hydro, and the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts. Eventually Peterson and Enright went their separate ways and Peterson continued to photograph BC writers.
Peterson sees himself as a documentary portrait photographer. He wants to leave an archival record of some of BC's best writers for future generations.
In 111 West Coast Literary Portraits, all photographs have been taken with B&W film and printed on fibre-based archivally processed prints, a time-consuming process that is used very rarely in this quick and disposable digital age. Peterson says, "Film photos have a depth to them that digital can't duplicate. Digital images are printed flat on paper and film images are printed on layers of emulsion within the paper. Film and fibre-based prints have been around for 160+ years and many of the first prints are still around--and that was before they knew how to archivally process prints."
WRITERS:
David Watmough, Stan Persky, Greg Scofield, W.P. Kinsella, Barry Broadfoot, Joe Rosenblatt, Marilyn Dumont, Sharon Thesen, Robin Blaser, George Bowering, Larissa Lai, Meredith Quartermain, Daphne Marlatt, Susan Musgrave, Patrick Lane, Lorna Crozier, Alan Twigg, Morris Panych, Jean Barman, Edith Iglauer, Theresa Kishkan, John Pass, Peter Trower, Jack Hodgins, Bill Richardson, Jane Rule, Howard White, Jim Christy, Andreas Schroeder, Al Purdy, Max Wyman, Doug Beardsley, P.K. Page, Stephen Reid, Bud Osborne, Phinder Dulai, Rita Wong, Bill Deverell, bill bissett, Eric Nicol, Rachel Wyatt, Marilyn Bowering, Patricia Young, George Stanley, Brian Brett, Phyllis Webb, Mona Fertig, Jamie Reid, Wade Compton, Goh Poh Seng, Linda Rogers, Joy Kogawa, Anne Cameron , Evelyn Lau, Alice Munro, Vera Manuel, Marie Clements, Tim Lander, Keith Harrison, Colin Angus/Julie Angus, Sheila Munro, Caroline Woodward, Paula Wild/Rick James, Des Kennedy, Amanda Hale, Roy Miki, Maxine Gadd, Joanne Arnott, Pauline Holdstock, Taiaiake Alfred, Marion Farrant, Katherine Gordon, George Szanto, Kim Goldberg, Mairuth Sarsfield, Peter Such, Eve Joseph, Patrick Friesen, George McWhirter, Gurjinder Basran, Kate Braid, Betsy Warland, Daniela Elza, Irene Howard, Ajmer Rode, Fred Wah, George Fetherling, Norma Charles, Trevor Carolan, Hadani Ditmars, Derek Lundy, Ronald Wright, Kathy Page, Arthur Black, Chris Arnett, Peter Levitt, Shirley Graham, Pearl Luke, Robert Hilles, Evelyn White, Joanne Bealy, Diana Hayes, Sandi Johnson, Charlotte Gill, Caroline Adderson, Claudia Cornwall.
Barry Peterson started his own freelance commercial photography business in Toronto and Winnipeg and taught photography at night school. He was a social worker, and also a founding member in two artist-run galleries in Winnipeg. In 2005 Barry and Blaise went their separate ways and Barry continued to document BC writers. Barry lives with his wife, and step-son in Comox on Vancouver Island.
Blaise Enright studied Photography, Film, and Creative Writing at the Ontario College of Art & Design in Toronto. Her love of combining photography and creative writing inspired her work in photographing BC Writers for the "Lit Happens" project. Blaise is currently studying Creative Writing at Kootenay School of the Arts in Nelson, BC, and is working on her first novel.
111 west Coast Literary Portraits- Exhibition Schedule & Launches/Receptions
2012-2013
May 25th-27, Vancouver-TWUC AGM, Holiday Inn, downtown
Oct 2-Dec 3-Burnaby-McGill Library Exhibition ( featuring 20 Vancouver writers photos x 2).
Oct 11, Vancouver, Book Launch Vancouver, Thursday, Heritage Hall, Main St 8 pm
Oct 20-27-Salt Spring Island Exhibition and Book Launch-Mahon Hall, (featuring aprox 30 Gulf Island writers). Book Launch/Exhibition Opening Sat. Oct 20th.
Nov 17 Comox, Book Launch, Saturday 3-5 pm Comox Art Gallery
Nov 24, Nanaimo- Reception, Nanaimo Museum
Nov-24-Jan 31, (2013) Nanaimo -Exhibition Nanaimo Museum ( 30 Island/Van writers)
Feb 5-19 (2013) Victoria-Exhibition CACGV Art Gallery and Gallery Cafe at the Arts Centre at Cedar Hill,
(30+ Victoria and Van Island Writers)
Feb 9th, Victoria, Opening and Book Launch, CACGV Gallery & Gallery Cafe at the Arts Centre at Cedar Hill, Sat. 7 pm
Feb 5-19 Victoria, Exhibition Artists Corner at the Greater Victoria Public Library, Central Branch ( 3 Victoria writers)
Stan Persky was photographed in front of a Leonardo di Caprio picture on his bulletin board; W.P. Kinsella didn't mind having a bandage on his finger in his portrait because he said he was feeling wounded; Susan Musgrave made faces at the camera with her daughters. These are just three of the B.C. authors represented in this extraordinary book of photographs that aren't just ordinary studio photos.
Peterson and Enright's photographs became part of a travelling show titled 'Lit Happens' that was exhibited in many public spaces, including the Vancouver International Writers Festival, The Pendulum Gallery, Word on the Street, BC Book Prizes, SFU Reckoning Conference, Comox Valley Art Gallery, BC Hydro, and the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts. Eventually Peterson and Enright went their separate ways and Peterson continued to photograph BC writers.
Peterson sees himself as a documentary portrait photographer. He wants to leave an archival record of some of BC's best writers for future generations.
In 111 West Coast Literary Portraits, all photographs have been taken with B&W film and printed on fibre-based archivally processed prints, a time-consuming process that is used very rarely in this quick and disposable digital age. Peterson says, "Film photos have a depth to them that digital can't duplicate. Digital images are printed flat on paper and film images are printed on layers of emulsion within the paper. Film and fibre-based prints have been around for 160+ years and many of the first prints are still around--and that was before they knew how to archivally process prints."
WRITERS:
David Watmough, Stan Persky, Greg Scofield, W.P. Kinsella, Barry Broadfoot, Joe Rosenblatt, Marilyn Dumont, Sharon Thesen, Robin Blaser, George Bowering, Larissa Lai, Meredith Quartermain, Daphne Marlatt, Susan Musgrave, Patrick Lane, Lorna Crozier, Alan Twigg, Morris Panych, Jean Barman, Edith Iglauer, Theresa Kishkan, John Pass, Peter Trower, Jack Hodgins, Bill Richardson, Jane Rule, Howard White, Jim Christy, Andreas Schroeder, Al Purdy, Max Wyman, Doug Beardsley, P.K. Page, Stephen Reid, Bud Osborne, Phinder Dulai, Rita Wong, Bill Deverell, bill bissett, Eric Nicol, Rachel Wyatt, Marilyn Bowering, Patricia Young, George Stanley, Brian Brett, Phyllis Webb, Mona Fertig, Jamie Reid, Wade Compton, Goh Poh Seng, Linda Rogers, Joy Kogawa, Anne Cameron , Evelyn Lau, Alice Munro, Vera Manuel, Marie Clements, Tim Lander, Keith Harrison, Colin Angus/Julie Angus, Sheila Munro, Caroline Woodward, Paula Wild/Rick James, Des Kennedy, Amanda Hale, Roy Miki, Maxine Gadd, Joanne Arnott, Pauline Holdstock, Taiaiake Alfred, Marion Farrant, Katherine Gordon, George Szanto, Kim Goldberg, Mairuth Sarsfield, Peter Such, Eve Joseph, Patrick Friesen, George McWhirter, Gurjinder Basran, Kate Braid, Betsy Warland, Daniela Elza, Irene Howard, Ajmer Rode, Fred Wah, George Fetherling, Norma Charles, Trevor Carolan, Hadani Ditmars, Derek Lundy, Ronald Wright, Kathy Page, Arthur Black, Chris Arnett, Peter Levitt, Shirley Graham, Pearl Luke, Robert Hilles, Evelyn White, Joanne Bealy, Diana Hayes, Sandi Johnson, Charlotte Gill, Caroline Adderson, Claudia Cornwall.
Barry Peterson started his own freelance commercial photography business in Toronto and Winnipeg and taught photography at night school. He was a social worker, and also a founding member in two artist-run galleries in Winnipeg. In 2005 Barry and Blaise went their separate ways and Barry continued to document BC writers. Barry lives with his wife, and step-son in Comox on Vancouver Island.
Blaise Enright studied Photography, Film, and Creative Writing at the Ontario College of Art & Design in Toronto. Her love of combining photography and creative writing inspired her work in photographing BC Writers for the "Lit Happens" project. Blaise is currently studying Creative Writing at Kootenay School of the Arts in Nelson, BC, and is working on her first novel.
111 west Coast Literary Portraits- Exhibition Schedule & Launches/Receptions
2012-2013
May 25th-27, Vancouver-TWUC AGM, Holiday Inn, downtown
Oct 2-Dec 3-Burnaby-McGill Library Exhibition ( featuring 20 Vancouver writers photos x 2).
Oct 11, Vancouver, Book Launch Vancouver, Thursday, Heritage Hall, Main St 8 pm
Oct 20-27-Salt Spring Island Exhibition and Book Launch-Mahon Hall, (featuring aprox 30 Gulf Island writers). Book Launch/Exhibition Opening Sat. Oct 20th.
Nov 17 Comox, Book Launch, Saturday 3-5 pm Comox Art Gallery
Nov 24, Nanaimo- Reception, Nanaimo Museum
Nov-24-Jan 31, (2013) Nanaimo -Exhibition Nanaimo Museum ( 30 Island/Van writers)
Feb 5-19 (2013) Victoria-Exhibition CACGV Art Gallery and Gallery Cafe at the Arts Centre at Cedar Hill,
(30+ Victoria and Van Island Writers)
Feb 9th, Victoria, Opening and Book Launch, CACGV Gallery & Gallery Cafe at the Arts Centre at Cedar Hill, Sat. 7 pm
Feb 5-19 Victoria, Exhibition Artists Corner at the Greater Victoria Public Library, Central Branch ( 3 Victoria writers)
Submitted on April 27, 2012 in By David.
