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You are cordially invited to a SPARK PHOTO FESTIVAL 2015 Exhibition
by Bronson “Bunny” Smith
“LABELS”
The labels we put on ourselves as well as the ones that society puts on us, can limit our personal sense of well-being and self-worth, and creative potential.
The project is primarily made up of “selfies” using my Mac computer’s app Photo booth. The imagery is gritty and textural. Enjoy.
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DATE:
Wednesday, April 1 to Thursday, April 30, 2015.
LOCATION:
This & That Shop - 330 Charlotte Street, Peterborough, Ontario
OPENING RECEPTION:
Friday, April 3 - 4:00pm - 9:00pm - water / soft drinks / veggies / nibbles -
YOUTUBE:
https://www.youtube.com/
Quicktime Movie of Photos from Exhibition
PRICING:
EXHIBITION - 24 framed photographs for sale - $1500.00
PHOTO REPRINTS - (unframed or similar framing) $50.00 each
NOTE:
50% of sales will be donated to YES - Youth Emergency Services - Peterborough
For more information please contact:
Bronson “Bunny” Smith
473 DONEGAL STREET, PETERBOROUGH, ONTARIO K9H 4L7
705-874-9600 … 705-933-9600 … http://bronsonsmith.com/ tatt2man@mac.com … tatt2man1955@gmail.com
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“LABELS”
by Bronson “Bunny” Smith
The labels we put on ourselves as well as the ones that society puts on us, can limit our personal sense of well-being and self-worth, and creative potential.
The project is primarily made up of “selfies” using my Mac computer’s app Photo booth.
Bullying
is like a swarm of bees. Back in my youth, you'd get stung or bothered
by one or more & swat them away. Now with the immediacy of social
network and media it has become a rapid swarm of bees and you can get
stung to death.
The selfie styled photo show "Labels" is an offshoot of what has been very popular in the news - bullying - we all want & need a positive image of oneself. Labels can hurt - "... sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never harm me ..." - what labels are you carrying around within yourself.
The selfie styled photo show "Labels" is an offshoot of what has been very popular in the news - bullying - we all want & need a positive image of oneself. Labels can hurt - "... sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never harm me ..." - what labels are you carrying around within yourself.
“Labels” Exhibition - $1200.00
Individual Photograph reprints - $50.00 each -unframed/framed ( similar framing to exhibition)
Note: 50% of sales will be donated to YES - Youth Emergency Services - Peterborough
For more information please contact:
Bronson “Bunny” Smith - 705-874-9600 -or- tatt2man1955@gmail.com
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FORMAT OF TEXT - # of Image - LABEL - ONLINE DICTIONARY DEFINITION - STORY/COMMENTS RELATING TO PHOTO AND EFFECT OF LABEL
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insert pix of a memory
1- A MEMORY - Something remembered from the past: a recollection
- me back in the 2000's in Toronto - I could say things were better back then, but I would be lying.
insert pix of bad ass
2- BAD ASS - A tough, uncompromising, or intimidating person
- girls and boys are attracted to the bad-boy look - a bit of rough -don't mess with me attitude
insert pix of boy
3- BOY - referring to the submissive partner to a dominant gay man - Daddy or Sir
-also, a big boy is desirable to those who think being fatter is healthy - not affected by the pandemic of HIV and AIDS
4- BUTCH - manlike or masculine in appearance or behaviour, typically aggressively
- an allusion to masculinity - a stylized view of what makes a man a man
5- WIFEBEATER - Apparently from the association of such a garment with men who commit domestic violence.
-giving a rough and tough image even though not involved with any negative activity -
6- CANCER CAME BACK - after 3 years in remission - the PSA was up again
- the look of failure and regret - I went through the surgery and loss of my physical self and potency - and still the cancer came back -
7- IN REMISSION - A diminution of the seriousness or intensity of disease or pain; a temporary recovery
- how can you be happy when your buddies are getting worse and dying - I am better and you are not - rings hollow - the remission could fail -
8- IMPOTENT - Unable to take effective action; helpless or powerless
- the loss of physical self and sense of being is lost with the changes and coping with the new me -
9- EMPTY - Having no value or purpose
- the loss of self leaves just a shell for others to see
10- MASCULINE - Of or denoting a gender of mouns and adjectives, conventionally regarded as male
- add the clothes, the workouts, the facial hair and sunglasses - does it work - is it real? -
11- FEMME - an effeminate male homosexual who takes a traditionally feminine sexual role
-what is the true sense of self - the inner child that would play with dolls and do their clothes and hair - and loved reading the women's magazine - and being taken care of -
12- BRONSON - the name I chose in 1994 to replace my baptismal name of Geoffrey
- an image of self - trying to protect a happy image content with life -
13- BUNNY - the acceptance of the feminine side of self and using nickname from high school days
- the realization of self - blending the current with the past - accepting the future and comfortable with the present -
14- SANE - of sound mind; not mad or mentally ill
- when the goals and directions are clear and the path is lined up for success -
15- INSANE - In a state of mind that prevents normal perception, behavious, or social interaction; mentally ill
- when the goals and directions are muddy and the path is lined up for failure due to fears and internal conflict -
16- STRAIGHT - being heterosexual
- I still laugh when people ask me if I have any children and / or a wife - you have to be kidding -
17- BISEXUAL - Sexually attracted to both men and women
- I was first called bisexual by a boy in my 8th grade class. That was the new school and classmates who beat me up on a regular basis for being different -
18- GAY - a friendlier phrase to use other than homosexual to describe self or others attracted to men
- I own that word and it will not hurt me anymore - I have the pink gay triangle tattooed on my right arm -
19- QUEER - Strange; odd
- allowing myself to be queer - not so polite and finding a gentle pathway -
20- FAGGOT - offensive - A male homosexual
- still view it as a negative phrase - still view it as a phrase I apply to myself and self-worth -
21- NON-BINARY - defining self of the two genders
- I am a man - who is not a man - I am a woman who is not a woman -
22- ON THE FENCE - undecided and waffling
- I miss my goatee and moustache - but like everything else -
23- SEXY - Sexually attractive or exciting
- I want to feel sexy again - have not felt desirable for many years -
24- SICK - Affected by physical or mental illness
- a close friend saw me with my painted nails and called me "sick" to my face... I am not sick -
25- SUICIDAL - Deeply unhappy or depressed and likely to commit suicide
- it is so easy to hide the truth from others - and have the messages of hope and support you freely give to others - be the same messages you want to hear for yourself -
26- SELF-PORTRAIT - A portrait of an artist produced or created by that artist
- this is how I look at that point in time - part of a fundraiser - had a shaved head and goatee for over 20 years in total -
27- HAPPY - Feeling or showing pleasure or contentment
- this is how I want to be - how I want to feel - how I want to live - happy -
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Biography
Geoffrey Smith, born in Ottawa in 1955, has been a professional artist since the age of 10, selling wire sculptures to several art galleries across Canada.
I began creating wood relief paintings - Modern Primitive Wood Paintings (acrylic on routered plywood with balsa wood strips) in 1983.
I changed my name from Geoffrey to Bronson (a family name) June 2, 1994, as part of my personal growth. “Bunny” was added in 2014.
My work has been honoured with First Prize - Folk Art at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition; Best of Show at the Beth Tikvah Art Show; Honourable Mention and Best 3-D / Mixed Media at the Warkworth Festival Art Show and People’s Choice Award at The Lindsay Gallery.
In 2014 I returned to my love of photography and the photographic image with my work
on “Labels”. The last photographic series I had done was on “The Abandoned Outports
of Newfoundland” in 1987. I am currently compiling a collection of my photographs of the heritage buildings torn down for the 407 ETR Toll Highway expansion.
For a listing of private & corporate Collections, Exhibitions, Commissions, Galleries, please visit my website - http://bronsonsmith.com
BRONSON “Bunny” SMITH
473 Donegal Street
Peterborough, Ontario
Canada K9H 4L7
Home - 705-874-9600
Cell -705-933-9600
Main Email - tatt2man@mac.com
2nd Email - tatt2man1955@gmail.com
Art Website - http://bronsonsmith.com
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=724638794&ref=name
Youtube - http://youtu.be/YeqrBr7Ki2g
twitter - @smithmeek
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