Since ending my career with the Public Service of Canada, part of my 'rewirement' has involved working on an MA in Documentary Photography by distance through the University of South Wales. I will be showing work with other members of my cohort this spring at the Bienal Fotografia do Porto and will wrap up the program in late summer with a degree show in Cardiff or Bristol.
Without going into too much detail, my ongoing interests revolve around the state of institutions in Canada. Over the last 18 months, I have used photography to document aspects of the Bank of Canada, Parliament Hill, and the House of Commons. In future, my artistic explorations of 'institutions' could include bodies such as civil society organizations or churches.
As you'll appreciate, my area of interest has been something of a moving target of late. But this is exactly why I chose it: key institutions are under attack in many places and the damage being visited on them could take years to repair, if indeed it can be repaired. My own view is that I would rather we work to reform imperfect institutions under the rule of law, than to pretend that violence and lawlessness will lead us to freedom. It's hard to grow anything good in scorched earth.
But back to the tasks at hand: photographing, writing, preparing for a show, and thinking about the possibility of a photobook.
