Queer photographer Evergon, witchy artists Fastwurms among Governor General winners | 24CA News
A photographer whose work paperwork and celebrates the homoerotic is among the many winners of this yr’s Governor General Awards in Visual and Media Arts.
Evergon, 77, stated he was hopeful he’d obtain one of many Artistic Achievement Awards finally, however he’s “gobsmacked” that it’s really occurred.
Over the course of his profession, which is now in its fifth decade, the artist born Albert Jay Lunt stated he’s seen attitudes in direction of his work shift alongside the notion of the LGBTQ group.
“There’s pieces that were scandal 40 and 50 years ago, and there seems to be no scandal with those pieces at the moment,” he stated in a telephone interview forward of Tuesday’s announcement.
“Matter of fact, there has been no scandal.”
A retrospective of the Montreal artist’s work is on show on the Musée nationwide des beaux-arts du Québec in Quebec City. The museum describes his artwork as audacious and carnal, exploring problems with sexuality and the physique as they intersect with identification.
His portfolio options pictures of males that may veer in direction of the pornographic, together with nude self-portraits.
He additionally created a sequence of nude images of his octogenarian mom, which the Musée nationwide des beaux-arts says “renews the representation of the aging body as few artists have done.”
“She was the one challenging me: ‘I want the photos made of me now. I’m 80, I want them now,’” he recalled. “It was so fun to have them commissioned by her, as opposed to me whining: ‘Can we do this?’”
His mom died a number of years in the past, he stated, and he regrets that she’s not right here to witness this recognition of his work.
This yr’s listing of eight winners additionally contains David Garneau, who received the Outstanding Contribution Award.
His work and drawings converse to the expertise of Indigenous males in North America and explores his personal Metis identification and household historical past.
Meanwhile, Grace Nickel has received the Saidye Bronfman Award, which acknowledges the very best in advantageous crafts.
Nickel is a sculptor who renders pure types in ceramics and porcelain as a means of exploring whether or not we are able to return to a pure life.
Also among the many six winners of the Artistic Achievement Award is Fastwurms, a poly-disciplinary collective composed of Kim Kozzi and Dai Skuse. The duo, who’re based mostly out of Mulmur, Ont., invoke pictures of witches of their efficiency artwork and immersive installations.
Germaine Koh, who was Vancouver’s first engineering artist in residence and who describes herself as an artist-organizer, was additionally acknowledged with an award.
Tim Whiten, whose work explores the expertise of BIPOC folks, was honoured with an award for a profession that spans again to the Nineteen Sixties.
Filmmakers Shannon Walsh and Nettie Wild additionally obtained awards.
Walsh’s portfolio contains 5 feature-length documentary movies on subjects that embrace labour rights and local weather change.
Wild’s documentaries, in the meantime, take viewers behind the scenes of revolutions and social change.
Each winner will obtain a $25,000 prize.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed March 28, 2023.
© 2023 The Canadian Press
