Greg Girard is the photographer behind the absolutely stunning retro images of Japan compiled in his latest photo book titled, JAL 76-88.
Arriving in Tokyo in the spring of 1976, photographer Greg Girard only intended to stay for a few days, until a late-night stroll through the city changed his mind.
In his latest photobook, Canadian photographer Greg Girard offers a vivid portrait of Tokyo during the 1970’s and 80’s, before it became one of the world’s most dynamic megacities.
Ridley Scott’s film adaptation of Blade Runner came out in 1982. It’s since become the blueprint for high-tech, neon-soaked dystopia and cyberpunk aesthetics: cities emblazoned with colourful billboards and 24-hour artificial light. Six years prior to its release, Canadian photographer Greg Girard (b. 1955) arrived in Tokyo. “Blade Runner-esque” had yet to enter the lexicon, and he was soon entranced by this modern, futuristic city. Girard quickly turned his lens on the city’s people and glowing nocturnal architecture. Now, this largely unseen collection of images is published in a new book: JAL 76 88.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Stray, the latest indie gaming hit that has caught everyone’s attention, is the beautifully rendered walled city that is inhabited by humanoid robots. The rich and intricate explorable space has been immensely praised by both reviewers and critics for its visual aesthetic, ambience and design.
Vancouver artist Gailan Ngan’s From the Studio Floor presents a collection of works that are playful and inviting despite their weighty materials. The exhibition, on view at the Esker Foundation in Calgary until Dec. 18, brings together found materials such as chunks of clay and a cactus, with a series of ceramic sculptures collectively titled Moon Orbit, which Ngan describes as “blobs.” They look like colourful boulders from outer space but are mostly made of clay from British Columbia.
Greg Girard in conversation with John Mackie of Vancouver Sun. “Rare rock-star vintage photos pair with vintage and contemporary pieces in stunning Vancouver exhibition”
The Art Gallery at Evergreen is proud to announce its presentation of Semá:th Xó:tsa: Sts’ólemeqwelh Sxó:tsa/Great Gramma’s Lake. In November 2021, extreme rains flooded extensive areas of the Fraser Valley, including what is today known as Sumas Prairie. This “once in a century” flooding has dramatically impacted the lives and livelihoods of many Fraser Valley residents, including Stó:lō master carver E’yies’lek Claude “Rocky” LaRock.
I would describe the theme for the series as uncertainty. Personal uncertainty in relation to family histories but also uncertainty in relation to our current as global issues.
Gailan Ngan: What Goes Around Comes Around
The seemly interchangeable right and wrong in the phrase, in the wrong place at the wrong time, or the right place at the right time, offers several ways to consider the role location has in fate. Regardless of interpretation, assigning value seems irrelevant; it is more interesting to be in a place for something to cross your path, recognize the significance of this, and alter the course of your movement through this world because of the encounter.
The night air around Soon-Yi Previn, as Mari Eastman has rendered it, is overbearing. Surrounded by short, effusive brushstrokes, Previn’s impervious silhouette is further peppered by inky blue daubs. A chatty young Moses Farrow stands beside her, the red folds of his jacket matching an awning above (Soon-yi and Moses, 2021). The poolside portrait of a girl that opens ‘Night Life’, Eastman’s second solo exhibition at Goldfinch in Chicago, is executed with similar aplomb. Untitled (Sanded Painting) (2021) is atmospherically grey-pink and lavender; the girl, bored but assured, sits with one leg propped up. Any rococo resonances, however, are challenged by her completely sanded face and body; the abrasions give the effect of splitting light.
