Ages ago (okay, it was actually 1994) I reviewed an exhibition by Rosalie Favell at the Dunlop Gallery’s Sherwood Village location. The show was called Living Evidence, and it consisted of a series of candid polaroid photos that explored the nuances of a same sex relationship between two women.
Photography has remained Favell’s medium of choice throughout her career — and portraiture her favourite genre. In 2012, in fact, she received the Karsh Award from the City of Ottawa. That award is named after the famous Canadian portrait photographer Yousef Karsh and his brother Malek Karsh.
In (Re)facing The Camera, Favell presents 283 black-and-white portraits of indigenous artists and curators interspersed with four paintings by Favell inspired by photos from her family archive. The exhibition, which is curated by Michelle LaVallee, opens at the MacKenzie Gallery today. It runs until Nov. 22, and there’s an artist/curator talk by Favell and LaVallee on Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Above is a sample photo from the exhibition. Anyone care to hazard a guess as to who the person is? If you’re stumped, you’ll find a clue here. And here’s a link to an interview with Michelle LaVallee which ran in the Aug. 20 Prairie Dog.
