Smokestack is pleased to present a conversation between exhibiting artist, Dianne Bos, and fellow established artist, collaborative peer and friend, Penelope Stewart. Presented in the context of Bos’ current exhibition, Herbarium II: Photo(synthesis) Album, this discussion will share deeper insight into the influences and processes behind the work, the project’s relation within Bos’ larger practice and the mutual interest in alternative photographic methods that Bos and Stewart have shared throughout their artistic careers.
*with limited capacity, RSVP by email to gallery@smokestack.ca to confirm your attendance*
Penelope Stewart explores the modalities of perception through a multi-media practice inclusive of large-scale installation, printmaking and alternative photography methodologies. Stewart holds an MFA from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and is a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts (RCA). She has received numerous grants and awards from the Toronto, Ontario and Canada Arts Councils, international public commissions and has presented her work in notable institutions across Canada and internationally including the AKG Art Gallery, NY; Koffler Gallery, ON; Open Studio, ON; Medalta Museum, AB; ACT Design Museum, Australia and Musée Barthète, France. An integral part of Stewart’s practice has also been the coordination/curation of projects in collaboration with artists and writers, which have taken the shape of publications, exhibitions, off-site interventions and international residencies. It was Stewart’s participation in a number of Dianne Bos’ international Master Classes in alternative photography that sparked their collaborative relationship and close friendship.
Dianne Bos investigates light, nature and perception using a wide range of distinctive photographic processes and tools. Her focused interest in analog techniques has integrated exploration with pinhole photography, vintage cameras, cyanotype, photograms, and most recently, chlorophyll printing. Bos has presented her photography and installation work in solo and group exhibitions across Canada and internationally in the United States and Europe. Her work may be found in private, corporate and museum collections including the Art Gallery of Hamilton, ON; the University of Lethbridge Art Gallery, AB; the Walter Phillips Gallery at the Banff Centre, AB; the National Gallery of Canada, ON and Canadian embassies in Paris and Belgium. In addition to her artistic practice in the visual arts, Bos’s professional interests have extended into the field of music, publishing, and teaching.
