Reinventing Temporal Exposures
Alex Contini, Victoria Fenninger, Justin Wu
May 6 - May 24, 2008
Reception and artist talk: May 24 6-8p

Justin Wu, photograph, 2007

Justin Wu
Pictures reflect more than stills, but meaningful viewpoints of the world through striking textures, forms, and colour. Through the process of capturing the image, multi-varying or uniform textures are spotted, followed by the discovery of concepts from the scene, and then composed in shades or hues. This series of photographs attempt to illustrate the preservation of tracks and flywheels – element of a workshop. Emphasis is on the textural brick subjects to envision the passing of time as it comes to a historic close in our steel society. This was inspired by the wabi-sabi philosophy of capturing beauty through weathering over time.

Justin Wu has a special interest in abstract & conceptual fine art photography, with experience ranging from event, commercial, editorial photography, working with both digital and film. Wu recently graduated from Queen’s University this year and is currently residing in Toronto. During his time at Queen’s, Wu was the photography editor for the Yearbook & Convocation Service (YCS) and a contributor for the Queen’s Journal, and founder and co-chair of the Queen’s Photographic Society. Wu is continuing his studies at the Richard Ivey School of Business (class of fall, 2009) and going on exchange to HEC Paris for international exposure (Jan-June 2009).


Victoria Fenniger, Fire Poi, mixed media, 2008 (left)
Alex Contini, Untitled, oil on canvas, 2008 (right)

Victoria Fenninger
The word “photography” is based on the Greek words phos “light” and graphê “representation by means of lines” or “drawing”, together meaning “drawing with light.” I am currently exploring ways of drawing with light and am experimenting with various light sensitive materials. I create complex images with multiple layers using photographic elements. I have been interested in light drawing since I learned fire poi (the New Zealand art of spinning fire) in 2001.

Victoria Fenninger is graduating in June 2008 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Honours. In the past 3 years she has been a member of a student art collective (YOSAC) affiliated with Y.O. Media Gallery in Sutton, Ontario. She is also involved with Art Source in Markham, Ontario, where she is a resident artist, and is starting a new company, Creative Studios, an art production and publishing company.

Alex Contini
I aim to capture the essence of an abstract photograph, working with the theme of reconstruction. The source for my paintings are the areas of construction taking place currently on Queen’s campus. I am interested in photographing subjects that can be digitally abstracted through a variety of different effects. In doing so, I aim to explore the idea of photography and go beyond its ability to record an image’s visual properties. I am using the camera as a means to see past the external, and it therefore becomes the first step in creating a work of art that is more about an overall experience. In the process of photographing subjects, manipulating the images and then further translating them on to a canvas, I am, in a sense, completely “reconstructing” a photograph.