WHAT IT MEANS TO BE SEEN PHOTOGRAPHY AND QUEER VISIBILITY

EXHIBITION OPEN JUNE 18 - AUGUST 24, 2020

Guest Curated by Sophie Hackett

“I had never seen a picture of two women kissing, and I wanted to see it. I borrowed a camera . . .”
– JEB (Joan E. Biren)


The ideas of visibility and greater acceptance have long been tied together for those in queer communities. So much so that it is plausible to suggest that one of the projects developing alongside the LGBT rights movement since the 1960s, though unofficial and organic, has been to produce a visual record. Greater visibility has often meant greater representation in mass media outlets and this visibility has undeniably increased over the last four decades — so too have LGBT rights.

Photographs have, of course, played a key role in this. But what has this photographic visibility consisted of? To celebrate World Pride 2014 Toronto, this exhibition takes a closer look at this rich photographic record, and the ways photographs have served to bring to light a sense of collective characteristics, experiences and ambitions for queer communities.

Featuring a broad range of materials from the Black Star Collection at Ryerson University, the Canadian Lesbian + Gay Archives (Toronto), and other prominent collections in the United States and Europe, this range of photographs argues for the continued validity — necessity, even — of making queer people visible, collectively and individually.

Organized by the Ryerson Image Centre in collaboration with the Art Gallery of Ontario. A Major Partner Event of WorldPride Toronto 2014.

http://www.ryerson.ca/ric/

GALLERY HOURS:

TUESDAY: 11 - 6PM
WEDNESDAY: 11 - 8PM
THURSDAY: 11 - 6PM
FRIDAY: 11 - 6PM
SATURDAY: 12 - 5PM
SUNDAY: 12 - 5PM
MONDAY: CLOSED

FREE EXHIBITION TOURS DAILY AT 2:30PM






• All ages welcome
• Free to attend event
• Accessible space