VISUAL ARTS
ABANDONED SENTRIES: SHEILA JONAH, NATALIE DRAZ, JOHN DRAJEWICZ If the creation of a structure represents the values, hopes and ideals of a time in history, so too does its subsequent abandonment to the elements. This exhibition recognizes the hands of the builder or architect that created the structure that is now in decline or abandonment. Photographers wait for the perfect moment of light and silence to add that bit of visual magic. Part of Contact Photography Festival. Reception this Saturday from 2-7 p.m. Proof Studio Gallery (15 Case Goods Lane, 416-5046761). Until May 31.
GEORGIA O’KEEFFE Don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience the beautiful, innovative art of a trailblazing figure in American modernism. Making its only stop in North America, this exhibit features more than 80 works of art capturing the essence of O’Keeffe’s deeply personal connection to the landscape, architecture and nature that inspired her iconic style. Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas St. W., 877-225-4246). Until July 30.
IT’S ALL HAPPENING SO FAST: A COUNTER-HISTORY OF THE MODERN CANADIAN ENVIRONMENT features historical photographs of idyllic landscapes by William Notman and Alexander Henderson, as well as Northern landscapes by Richard Harrington and Robert Frank, ‘60s industrial activity by George Hunter and sites of nuclear production by Sam Tata. Part of Contact Photography Festival.
MYSTICAL TORONTO: THE OCULIS OF DONNA LYPCHUK Lypchuk uses her signature cellphone “fauxtographie” to channel the essence of mystical Toronto with this series of fine art prints that find new meaning in the city’s atmospheric skies, abandoned mid-century temples, secret parlour rooms, foggy forest clearings and sacred condo-henges. Part of the Contact Photography Festival. Reception this Sunday from 6-10 p.m. Jinks Art Factory (1664 Queen St. W., 647-347-7779). Until May 31.
THE PAST IS NEVER FAR: SUMMER LEIGH is a photographic series that explores many of the changes Toronto has undergone over the past two centuries. Leigh presents the city in ways never seen before, juxtaposing traditional and modern technologies to compel the viewer to consider the relationship between past and present. Part of the Contact Photography Festival. Reception this Saturday from 2-4 p.m. Mackenzie House (82 Bond St., 416-392-6915). Until Sept. 15.
PRESENCE Contemporary photography that is personal, thoughtful and often full of risks has been created by the Grade 12 photography class at Etobicoke School of the Arts. Part of the Contact Photography Festival. Reception Friday from 6-8 p.m. Artscape Youngplace (180 Shaw St., 416530-2787). Until May 15.
TORONTO: TRIBUTES + TRIBUTARIES, 1971-1989 explores the experimental energy of an era, bringing together more than 100 works by 65 artists and collectives to highlight an innovative period in Toronto art history. Amidst the social and political upheavals of their time, the generation of artists that emerged in Toronto during the ‘70s and ‘80s pushed the boundaries of conventional painting, sculpture and photography, exploring new ways of making art including video, installation and performance. Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas St. W., 416-9796648). Until Sunday.
UNDERNEATH THE TREE WHERE I BURIED ALL MY CHILDHOOD PETS: KE PENG Los Angeles-based Chinese photographer Ke Peng documents her surroundings and experiences in the neighbouring cities of Hunan and Shenzhen, China, drawing parallels between them by capturing influences of tradition among rapid development and change. She also looks at how individuals, especially children, seek to establish their identities in the midst of ever-changing urban landscapes and what that process may cost them. Part of the Contact Photography Festival. Reception this Saturday from 3-7 p.m. Gallery 50 (50 Gladstone Ave., 647-779-2746). Until May 16.