Opening reception:
Friday, February 2 | 7:30 pm
Harold Eastman is a freelance filmmaker, photographer and writer who has lived in the Bancroft area since moving here from Toronto in 2002. Harold grew up in western Canada, but moved to Ontario in 1979 to take a job as communications director for an international development agency. The position enabled him to travel widely, shooting film and later video in Bolivia, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Venezuela, and several European countries.
When he became a freelancer, he developed a specialty in writing and film-making on the subject of advanced scientific research, documenting multimillion dollar projects and universities and other institutions across Ontario and the Canadian prairies.
Harold continues to shoot both still and moving images. In the latter category, he largely focuses on street and documentary photography, and on “found” still life.
A favourite subject, however, is artists in performance. He is intrigued what happens to performers’ faces when they make music, dance or act. “That transformation is what I aim to capture.” This interest provides the basis for Harold’s works in the exhibition.
After completing a degree in marketing at Confederation College and an honours diploma in Creative Photography at Humber College Larry Ostrom joined the Art Gallery of Ontario as a photographer. Within five years he became the Head Photographer. During that time, he developed and refined his knowledge of art by attending many lecture series covering the History of Art.
After a decade at the gallery his career moved into the commercial world of photography in the Toronto and Eastern Ontario region. He specialized in photographing world-renown sculptures and paintings for major galleries. In addition to this work, he produced high-end portraiture plus advertising work ranging from aerial to shoe photography.
Larry’s images have been seen in galleries in Toronto and Ottawa plus smaller venues in Eastern Ontario for over 35 years. His influence is his world – 100 acres of rolling hills in Hastings Highlands and the rugged landscape of Northern Ontario. Capturing motion with still images, death and the rebirth and survival of nature has been the foundation of his work, as presented in this show.
According to Larry, “My goal is to create fine art images which are both artistically inspired and technically excellent. I use photography as a means of self-expression. I make images for myself, to better understand my reality, and to express my interpretation of the world around me. Three dimensions are reduced to two, the act of creation, making images, is an alteration.”
The Art Gallery of Bancroft is situated on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg Algonquins, which is known to be unceded. Indigenous people have been stewards of this land since time immemorial; as such we honour and respect their connection to the land, its plants, animals and stories. Our recognition of the contributions and historic importance of Indigenous peoples is sincerely aligned to our collective commitment to make the promise and the challenge of truth and reconciliation real in our community.