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Labels: art, black and white, bret culp, fine art, Ireland, landscapes, newsletter, ruins

My photograph, The Transience of Power, has been selected as the January 4, 2010 GalleryPrint Picture of the Week.  Click here for the GalleryPrint website.

Labels: art, black and white, bret culp, castle, fine art, Ireland, landscapes, Picture of the Week, ruins

The following information about historical photographic framing practices is taken from the wikipedia Fine Art Photography page.  

In light of what is written below, I'm interested in your opinion on what you like in framing – what is gimmicky versus what will stand the test of time, to matte of not to matte, with or without glass, plexiglass mounting, thoughts about printing and mounting on metal, etc.

Until the mid 1950s it was widely considered vulgar and pretentious to frame a photograph for a gallery exhibition. Prints were usually simply pasted onto blockboard or plywood, or given a white border in the darkroom and then pinned at the corners onto display boards. Prints were thus shown without any glass reflections obscuring them. Steichen's famous The Family of Man exhibition was unframed, the pictures pasted to panels. Even as late as 1966 Bill Brandt's MoMA show was unframed, with simple prints pasted to thin plywood. Since about 2000 there has been a noticeable move toward once again showing contemporary gallery prints on boards and without glass.

Labels: fine art, framing, mounting, photography, wikipedia

Here is Ashante Infantry's review of Norm Amadio's new CD as it appears in the Tuesday December 29 Toronto Star.  Norman is a friend and a musical collaborator with my wife, jazz vocalist Julie McGregor.

(3.5 out of 4 stars)

Esteemed pianist Norm Amadio called in a few worthy pals (vocalists Marc Jordan and Jackie Richardson, saxophonist Phil Dwyer, Guido Basso on flugelhorn) for his latest project. The result – anchored by bassist Rosemary Galloway and drummer Terry Clarke – is one of the year's top albums. Timmins native Amadio, into his sixth decade of performance, has an extensive resumé that includes collaborations with Miles Davis, Judy Garland and Mel Torme. One of Canada's underrated players, he's innovative and resonant on sprightly tunes penned by producer Andrew A. Melzer that have an air of familiarity; and veteran arranger Peter Cardinali delivers a big band's punch. The disc also includes three clanging but intriguing 1966 recordings of Amadio's celebrated trio with bassist Bob Price and drummer Stan Perry.

Top Track: Amadio has a dreamy solo on "My Love Can't Wait."

Click here for the Toronto Star page.

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Labels: jazz, Julie McGregor, music, Norm Amadio, review

Labels: black and white, book, bret culp, fine art, landscapes, photographer, photography, The Beauty of Impermanence

My photography in Arta Gallery's Light of Winter exhibition received a nice mention in an article by Mandi Hargrave that appears in today's Examiner.

Here is a snippet:

When you walk through the doors to the gallery, Bret Culp’s black and white photo of an old castle commands your attention. Appropriately titled, 'The Transience of Power' captures your gaze and locks you in. Whether it’s the size of the photo or its overall beauty, something about it won’t let you look away until you’ve fully taken in its natural charm.

Click here to be taken to the full article.

Labels: Arta Gallery, bret culp, distillery district, exhibition, group show, press, review

I'm participating in the Light of Winter Exhibition at Arta Gallery at the Distillery District in Toronto. The show opens today.

LIGHT OF WINTER
Arta Gallery, Toronto, Canada
December 9 to December 26, 2009

Opening reception: Thursday December 10 from 6 to 8 pm (TONIGHT)

Labels: Arta Gallery, bret culp, distillery district, exhibition, group show

Labels: artist statement, bret culp

Whodunit? 2009 – Mystery Art by the Famous and Soon-to-be-famous

I’m thrilled that my photography has been chosen for inclusion in the Ontario College of Art and Design Whodunit? Mystery Art Sale Gala Preview and Silent Auction.

Gala Preview:
Come celebrate art, artists and friends at a fabulous party unlike any other. Preview the hundreds of pieces of mystery art for sale in the Whodunit? Public Art Sale on November 21. Bid on framed 5.5" x 7.5" mystery art chosen exclusively for sale in the Silent Auction or bid on large-scale art by a select group of artists in the Live Auction. Join mystery artists and friends at our exclusive party!

The Whodunit? OCAD Mystery Art Sale is OCAD's signature fundraising event. It's an exhibition and sale of pieces of original art by well-known and celebrity artists, OCAD faculty, alumni and students. Gaining in popularity year after year, the Whodunit? OCAD Mystery Art Sale offers hundreds of original pieces of art donated by artists who are famous and not-yet-famous. Every piece measures 5.5 x 7.5 inches and each piece is $75. Like it - buy it - turn it over and see Whodunit!

http://whodunit.ocad.ca

Labels: art sale, bret culp, exhibition, fund-raiser, group show, OCAD, silent auction, Whodunit?

METAPHORS OR IDEALISM?




Leonardo Galleries | info@leonardogalleries.com | 416-924-7296
133 Avenue Road, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5R 2H7
Mon-Fri: 10am-6pm Sat: 10am-5pm

Labels: bret culp, exhibition, group show, Leonardo Galleries, Yorkville

Entertainment reinforces what you already know, and tells you that you're right. Art, on the other hand, suggests that what you know is wrong, and that your beliefs might not be correct.

-David Mamet

Labels: art, entertainment, quotes

Here is my artist statement for my new exhition, The Moment Eternal, which opens today.


THE MOMENT ETERNAL
Leonardo Gallery, Toronto, Canada
Ocober 28 to November 19, 2008

Opening Reception: Thursday October 30, 6pm-9pm

Leonardo Gallery | info@leonardogalleries.com | 416-924-7296
133 Avenue Road, Toronto, Ontario, M5R 2H7
Mon-Fri: 10am-6pm Sat: 10am-5pm

Labels: artist statement, bret culp, The Moment Eternal

THE MOMENT ETERNAL
Leonardo Gallery, Toronto, Canada
Ocober 28 to November 19, 2008

Opening Reception: Thursday October 30, 7pm-9pm



Leonardo Gallery | info@leonardogalleries.com | 416-924-7296
133 Avenue Road, Toronto, Ontario, M5R 2H7
Mon-Fri: 10am-6pm Sat: 10am-5pm

Labels: bret culp, exhibition, Julie McGregor, Leonardo Galleries, paintings, photography, show, The Moment Eternal, Yorkville

VARIETY MAGAZINE

“The Englishman’s Boy” and “The Tudors” were the big winners on Wednesday at the third and final Gemini Industry Gala, which saw 33 prizes handed out to TV shows in the drama, variety and comedy categories.

Based on Guy Vanderhaeghe’s award-winning 1996 novel about cowboys in 19th century Saskatchewan and the early days of Hollywood, “Englishman’s Boy” roped in awards for direction in a miniseries for John N. Smith, supporting actress in mini for Katharine Isabelle and costume design for Beverley Wowchuk, while Carmen Kotyk took the casting honor.

The miniseries, which aired on pubcaster CBC, stars Nicholas Campbell, Bob Hoskins, Michael Therriault and R.H. Thomson.

Peach Arch Entertainment’s “The Tudors” — produced in association with Reveille Eire, Working Title and CBC-TV — nabbed awards for supporting actress in a dramatic series (Maria Doyle Kennedy), photography in a dramatic series (Ousama Rawi), production design in a fiction program (Tom Conroy, Eliza Solesbury), and visual effects (Bob Munroe, Bret Culp, Terry Bradley, Lisa Carr-Harris, Bill Halliday, Warren Leathern and Bo Mosley).

Labels: bret culp, Gemini Awards, The Tudors, Variety Magazine, vfx, visual effects