Michael Chambers, Sunflower, 1994, Archival fiber based silver gelatin print.
MICHAEL CHAMBERS: TRANSFORMING REALITY
May 4 - August 3, 1997
Presented as a part of Toronto’s 1997 Photography Festival CONTACT
“The strength of Chambers’ work lies in his ability to capture the human spirit through provocative images which demand full participation of the viewer.”
Michael Chambers: Transforming Reality was Wedge’s first exhibition. Featuring, an examination and celebration of the human spirit, the exhibition portrayed Chambers at his photographic best. Citing such artists from Henry Moore to Derek Jarman as creative influence, the strength of Chambers’ work lies in his ability to capture the human spirit through provocative images, which demand full participation of the viewer. Chambers’ work has been exhibited extensively throughout North America and abroad to critical acclaim, with critics describing his work from “dark and haunting,” to “exquisitely beautiful.”
Artist Statement:
The incredible diversity of human society means that certain issues, even when they are examined in a creative context, are subject to interpretation from equally diverse points of reference. So, there will never be complete agreement about how these issues should be expressed or understood.
My primary objective is to show the beauty of the human form, and the faces of various masks; and, at the same time, to juxtapose sculptural form with the mystery surrounding the human and cultural make-up.
The photographs in this exhibition explore the concept of the mask and its role in our survival. While masks are used in some cultures to adorn the human form. Clothing is also worn to decorate and add beauty to our bodies. Clothing can also send signals that either reveal or disguise our identity depending on our intentions and the viewer’s predisposed interpretations.
The notion of the mask addresses a series of complex issues that have allowed me to investigate the very delicate space between intention and perception.