written by Alice McClintock A note from the authors: after a bit of a hiatus, we are back! Stay tuned for more regularly scheduled postings. Marriage is a journey. Those of us who are getting married or have been married for a time hear this statement a lot. It is the actual wedding day, however, that has become a splashy affair; the average couple in the States spends about $30,000 for the occasion. In the lakeside town of Cobourg, the exhibition Betrothed, mounted by the Art Gallery of Northumberland in partnership with Stephen Bulger, showcases a myriad of photographs capturing weddings in all of their festiveness and solemnity. Spanning almost a century of photographs; from nineteenth century tintypes and daguerreotypes to the celebrity weddings of Elizabeth Taylor, Mick Jagger, and Marilyn Monroe, Bulger’s is an impressive collection. The original intent behind the collection was to document the evolution of photographic technology: in 1830s and 1840s daguerreotypes were gradually replaced by cheaper alternatives; the ambrotype and the tintype, to the silver gelatin photographs of the twentieth century. Offering a wide dearth of material, there are around 500 photographs amassed in this collection. The Art Gallery of Northumberland has taken a measured approached to the layout of the exhibition, especially in its interpretive simplicity. Rather than overwhelming the viewer with lengthy text panels, each gallery wall is given a theme, be it pre-ceremony photographs, images devoted to the ceremony, reception images, and celebrity weddings, among others. The photographs remain the main focus. Perhaps the most intriguing are the images of anonymous couples, as they leave viewers with so many open-ended questions about the circumstance surrounding these unions. I was caught wondering what sorts of stories lay behind these photographs. It is not only Western wedding traditions that are documented; there are several photographs from various countries in Asia and Africa, many of them using early technology, that give us a glimpse into different traditions from around the world. The AGN suggests, too, that such an exhibition tackles the popular argument of whether or not the medium of photography can be considered high art, since it has been used commercially for much of its existence. The contrast between the daguerreotypes of the early nineteenth century and the shots of celebrity weddings is decidedly marked, leaving the viewers to ponder the validity of such an argument.
Off in a small side gallery, the Paul Kane Gallery, there is an unrelated exhibition of historical photographs of Cobourg, on loan from the Northumberland County Archives. Highlighted are the business interiors in the early 1900s, offering us a glimpse of the historic town of Cobourg. Betrothed is a must-see treat if you are venturing east of the city. The gallery is open from Wednesday to Friday from 10-4, and Saturday and Sunday from 12-4, and is located in historic Victoria Hall, on King Street. The exhibition runs until June 18th. Images are courtesy of the Art Gallery of Northumberland and the authors.
1 Comment
Marianne Marusic
6/10/2017 05:43:23 am
Well done! I will have to get up to the gallery and see it!
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