John de Visser At The Art Gallery of Northumberland

By Peg McCarthy, Northumberland News

Photo by Ted Amsden

A gift of 100 photographs to the Art Gallery of Northumberland has blossomed into a one-man show for a local and nationally-acclaimed photographer.

A selection of work by John de Visser currently hangs in the gallery, located on the third floor of Victoria Hall. Unframed, large, beautifully-composed, colour-saturated prints, made from transparencies and inter-negs, are a testament to the wholesomeness of Canada and the natural beauty of other parts of the globe.

The prints include Saskatchewan grain elevators, Muskoka cottages and lakes, race horses, and gardens, along with tranquil scenic shots of Holland and Europe.

"They came out rather well," said Mr. de Visser, 79, who is happy with the selection made by curator Dorette Carter.

He's heard good comments about the exhibit, which represents a tiny corner of his work.

The oldest of 10 children, Mr. de Visser came to Canada 57 years ago, having served his two years in the Dutch army. He worked as a bank teller, and a shipper at the Benjamin Moore paint factory. Visiting Niagara Falls with friends, he shot two frames on their roll of film and got it developed.

The owner of the photo shop asked who had taken those two frames, which he said were the best he'd ever seen of the falls, and talked de Visser into purchasing a camera. Without formal training, these were the humble beginnings of Mr. de Visser's thriving and productive career in photography.

At his wife's suggestion (to offset his mounting film and processing costs), he presented his work on Toronto to Maclean's magazine. It was not only snapped up for "a year's wage", but became a 16-page colour spread that won awards for the magazine and work for Mr. de Visser. It wasn't long before he packed in his day job.

"It was total luck, along with devotion and ambition," he said now.

Membership in the Toronto Camera Club honed his skills.

"I belonged to a small clique of photographers who got sent all over the place at a magazine's expense."

And photographers were allowed to maintain ownership of their images.

By the time Masterfile Photo Stock agency was created, Mr. de Visser had literally thousands of marketable images. He was their biggest seller and still markets through them. Now he's sitting on literally thousands and thousands of unorganized negatives and slides, which he hopes one day will be archived in Ottawa. With 65 books to his credit, most set in Canada, and a history of high-end magazine work, he can look back on his career and call the opportunities good chances to do a lot of interesting things.

Coffee table books on Muskoka are among his favourites, mostly for their financial rewards, but the book he remembers most is his first, which was made in collaboration with Farley Mowat. He calls it a lament for a way of life that no longer exists. Set in the old fishing villages on Newfoundland's south coast in the winter months, it chronicles in words and black and white photos the last leg of the life of the cod fishermen, struggling to make ends meet under the thumb of the plant owners.

'This Rock was in the Sea' has been printed three times and sold over 30,000 copies.

Never needing a studio and seldom using flash, most of Mr. de Visser's work was done out-of-doors. He prefers morning or evening shooting, but said with a tripod, he can make pictures using any kind of light. Recently, he succumbed to the digital format, but for most of his career used 35 mm and shot transparencies, the standard for magazine and coffee table book reproduction.

"I don't want to spend hours in front of a computer - in fact, I don't even own one."

Mr. de Visser will talk about his work on Saturday, July 18, at 7 p.m., in the Art Gallery of Northumberland. For more information, call 905-372-0003.

Port Hope Gallerist Aurelie Collings loves her work

Peg Mccarthy/Northumberland News
From pediatric neuro-psychologist to gallery curator, Aurelie Collings has always been an art collector.
Her almost four-year-old A.K. Collings Gallery, on John Street, Port Hope, has held the work of emerging and established Canadian artists, and from the beginning, she wanted to "set the bar high" for her exhibits.
Ms. Collings' initial plan held a place for separate types of exhibits - for established and accessible artists; for emerging and maybe challenging artists; for those from farther afield - with none of the groups mutually exclusive.
Her passion is grounded promoting the artist and their show, which she considers a narrative story, their ongoing work, and the tastes of her patrons. She believes in showing work that isn't often available to the small town gallery. Ms. Collings is convinced that good art elevates everyone, and she says, "I'm not interested in having an art supermarket."
Hence Ms. Collings is not an art dealer by trade, but an art champion who wants to show each of her artists in the best possible light, in person, in her gallery - not just on the Internet - with receptions where artists need to articulate about what they do, how and why.
She also likes to pair showings, adding three-dimensional art to complement other art forms.
"A lot of artists are dubious at first, and the art world can be very cliquey, but (the collaborations) have been very successful.
"It really satisfies my creative urge. I'd be bored otherwise."
Situated close to Toronto, but encompassed by rural and small town Northumberland, Ms. Collings said she can't imagine any other community that rivals Port Hope. Admitting she might sell more work if she was in the city, the trade-off is the environment.
And with successful showings under her belt, she's gained confidence in her esthetic judgement and feels like she can take more chances. Every single show brings its own magic, she said.
Nervous ahead of time, industrious while hanging the work, then thrilled - "I always think every show is the most beautiful one yet" - and then depressed when it comes down, "It's just a roller-coaster," she laughed.
"I haven't had a single show that I wasn't completely committed to - I have a great sense of satisfaction."
The current economic climate has had an impact. Some of the large city galleries are struggling, said Ms. Collings, and some of her own patronage has disappeared for the time being, and she feels it's doubtful it will come back.
Ms. Collings also does art consulting for private and commercial clients, which helps the business, and means she can continue with most important project - her gallery.
Opening Sunday, July 5, is 'Home Court Advantage', featuring work by Melanie MacDonald. This emerging artist fits the mold for the type of person Ms. Collings likes to promote - a young person who has a strong workmanlike attitude and who has continued to produce since she first saw her four years ago.
"I like to see the thread of something the artist is exploring. Melanie is fantastic. She's really someone to watch."
The exhibit of hyper-real acrylic paintings has themes of both domesticity and board games, wrapped in a vintage '70s imagery that is familiar, off-kilter and highly realistic.
The A.K. Collings Gallery, 35 John St., Port Hope, is open Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m., and by appointment. Call 905-885-2001.

At the Golden Beach At Show - seeking shade!

At the Golden Beach Art Show.

At the Golden Beach Show - Brenda Sullivan - potter.

Spirit Of The Hills Tries Art Show And Sale At Golden Beach Car Event

During last weekend, we went to visit the art show and sale put on by Spirit of the Hills at the huge annual auto show at Golden Beach. The show was organized by Beth Rhind and was regarded by her as a bit of an experiment. The weather was a problem on Saturday with pouring rain, but on Sunday it was sunshine and very warm temperatures. All in all, 10 artists from the spirit of the Hills participated in the display attractively presented in a spacious tent.

We had a chance to talk to two of the artists. Perhaps their response could be regarded as typical of those who showed off their art at Golden Beach. "This is the first time that we have tried to be part of a car show, but in my experience, mixing art shows with other events does not work. I have been at the Shelter Valley Folk festival and jazz festivals and there the arts are a sideshow to the entertainment. Even arts shows and antiques shows don't mix. It's really tough to know your market place, but I still think that arts shows work best on their own.”

“Actually, we were hoping to see more Americans, because Americans tend to spend more.”

The other artist noted that "I have introduced myself to a half-dozen people who did not know me before and they may come to my studio. They took my card and I might just get a call. And you don't want to miss the opportunity either"

The candid responses of the two exhibitors are a good indication of the difficulties that visual local artists face in finding a market for their art. Our visual arts organizations are constantly on the lookout for suitable venues to showcase their ‘products’. And like Beth Rhind, they have to be ready to experiment. As one of the Spirit of the Hills artists put it, "you never know until you try it".

Brighton Arts Council Show And Sale

So much to see!