These editorial images are from a recent publication of Gulf Air Magazine. I took these photos of Montreal author Rawi Hage a few years ago for Quill & Quire Magazine. I have photographed many Canadian authors over the years. I am an avid reader so authors are a subject that I particularly enjoy.

In other news check out the Oscar Munoz show at Galerie de l'UQAM. The show is up till November 21st and is a really stunning work on the ephemeral image. Also I am rereading "The World Without Us" these days and in my blog perusing I came across a body of work that really reflects the effects that our consumption and use of plastic has on wildlife. These images by Chris Jordan are powerful and disturbing. Take a look here.

Editorial images I did for a recent issue of Canadian Living Magazine (with the last two being outtakes that I like). The story was 20 years after the Polytechnique killings and I was assigned to take portraits of three women who were profoundly affected by this tragedy.

I don't talk much about my editorial work here on the blog, but perhaps I should. To get a call from an art director/photo editor with an interesting job is quite thrilling. For me it is usually a portraiture assignment and I get to meet some pretty interesting people, people with compelling stories to tell. To be trusted with their stories and the way they will be represented is quite a big task, and something that I don't take lightly. I love arriving at the location (often the subject's home), scoping it out quickly and developing a rapport with the person I will be photographing. It is challenging but always interesting. I think of this position as a priviledged one and I always try to be respectful and do what's right by the person who has trusted me with their representation. These assignments also expose me to things that are happening in my community and allow me a closer view of the stories being told. I remember the Polytechnique tragedy, even though I was quite young. Of course I also now remember the Dawson school shooting and others. I have heard that the Polytechnique film that came out recently is very good, I think I will have to see it one of these days.

Breakfast preparations.

Chris' red shirt.

After dinner

After breakfast.

The winner of the Sobey Art Award was announced last night and it is David Altmejd, the Montreal sculptor whose work I recently saw at the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) and loved! I also remember seeing some of his work at the Musee d'Art Contemporain's Triennale last year. So congrats to him! Other Montrealers on the long list (and whose work I also love) are Manon de Pauw and Adad Hannah. Adad has an opening of new video work tomorrow at Pierre-Francois Ouellette Gallery. It's a tableau vivant version of the painting The Raft of the Medusa, and from what I can see on-line it looks like it is gorgeous.

More table tops in different lights.


There is a lot going on in Montreal tonight:

The first Slideluck Potshow ever held in Montreal
6250 Hutchison, suite 302
Doors open at 6pm, slideshow at 7:30pm, afterparty to follow

Opening of Daniel Hutchinson's work (Zero Dimensions) at Push Gallery
(not a relative of mine but I like his work)
7 to 10 pm
5265 St Laurent

Opening of "Preoccupations: Explorations of the Grey Nun's Mother House" at FOFA Gallery
Panel discussion of the work by participating photographers from 6 to 7pm
Actual Opening 7 to 9pm
1455 de Maisonneuve West, EV 1-715

My fake harvest photos.

More images from the food in my life.

On Tuesday I was in Ottawa for a CHIN (Canadian Heritage Information Network) project that I am involved in. I spent the day at The National Gallery taking in as much work as I could. I have a definite interest in sculpture these days and I was so happy to see Brian Jungen's Vienna is now installed there. I remember seeing his exhibit at the Musee D'Art Contemporain a few years ago and just being blown away. In the same Contemporary wing as Jungen I discovered the work of Tony Cragg ("A place in my heart"), which is made of dice, and James Carl's cardboard ATM and Fedex sculptures. The CHIN project involves me making work inspired by Tom Thomson's Jack Pine. And so I spent a good bit of time sitting in front of this iconic painting. Of course this is a work that has become part of our national identity and so I have a daunting task ahead of me.

My wonderfully talented husband Chris will be part of a group show opening this Saturday. The above is his image, which is a large paper cut out and should be seen in person to be appreciated. As you may have guessed the theme of the show is work inspired by the kids book and now movie: Where the Wilds Things Are. Here is the vernissage (opening) info:

at Headquarters Gallery
1649 Amherst Street, Montreal
Saturday October 10th 7 to 11pm
the show runs till October 31st

Images from the house of my neighbours in the country, the wonderful Nancy and Neal.

This week I saw 2 great shows: BGL at the Parisian Laundry, and Michael Love at Les Territoires. BGL is a collaborative trio of Quebecois sculptors and Mike is a photo MFA peer whose show at Les Territoires is part of his thesis work. I highly recommend you visit both.

In other news I also participated in the Mois de la Photo's portfolio review yesterday. This was my first ever portfolio review and it was an interesting and rewarding experience. I got to meet with curators and directors from all over the world and the varied and rich feedback they gave me was quite valuable. No concrete results as of yet but I think that some goods things will come of our meetings. Although we were all busy chatting up the reviewers, it was also a nice opportunity to hang out with some great Montreal photographers. There was the crowd that I already know: Jessica Auer, Josee Pedneault, Karen Zalamea, Guillaume Simoneau, and Thomas Kneubuhler; and then there were those whose work I knew but whom I had not met in person up to that point: Jim Verburg, Sara A Tremblay, Tony Fouhse, and Karine Cossette Barbeau. It was great to see all these faces, new acquaintances and old. I just wish that as well as being reviewed, we had also had some time to catch up and see each others work.