But the coverage and reviews of the photo shows was mixed – implying the Contact photo exhibits were of mixed quality. And Now should know because their photog corps constantly roller-coasters in quality of images delivered (or chosen??). Just take a look on the local stories inside Now. Sometimes it looks like a bunch of poorly paid coops and other times Now’s photos are truly a feast.
But if Now got you inside, it also got you to the essential business at hand – the Contact Photo Festival which is still a robust and agit-prop event. Given the explosion of digital camera precocity – photography is alive and well in Toronto. Just go to Fotki.com or Flickr.com and search on the tag Toronto – and you will see huge and diverse photo offerings. And Contact catches some of this vigour and activity as gallery-goers will see about 200 studios and boites putting photographers on display. If past Contact festivals are true to form there is a good show any time and any place.
However there is a disturbing trend – none of the Toronto area camera clubs like Beaches Camera Club, Don Mills Club, Etobicoke Camera Club, Toronto Camera Club, TGPA – all of which have splendidly talented members – none of which appear to be a part of the show. Obviously something has gone awry here. But I will let Eye Weekly’s David Balzer have the last word on the Contact Photo Festival –
“There is also a strong sense — in the work of Bert Teunissen, Luc Delahaye, Adi Nes, Alessandra Sanguinetti and Liss and Rubenstein’s coup, Nan Goldin (whose slide installation Heartbeat will be exhibited) — that the memorial and historical facets of the image might be reinvigorated through painterly composition.”