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Michelle Leone Huisman

1 March 2022 | Email This Post Email This Post | Print This Post Print This Post

The fine art photographer Michelle Leone Huisman discusses her new exhibition Global Pandemic (03 March-10 April 2022 at the Dal Schindell Gallery, 5800 University Boulevard at UBC), a collection of photographs of masks found on the street, with Joseph Planta.


Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

It doesn’t matter what part of the city one finds themselves in, or any city for that matter, masks are an expected way of life now. They’re also all over the place. They fall accidentally or carelessly and have become part of the litter that we see on busy and not so busy streets. They’re a symbol of this pandemic, and they’re a reminder of the ongoing, insidious emergency of the accumulation of waste. My guest now, Michelle Leone Huisman has created art during the pandemic. First was her collection of photographs An Unexpected Collection. It showcased photographs of wooden spoons broken during the banging of pots for the 7pm cheer for first responders. I’ll ask her about that collection, and we’ll discuss her current showcase, Global Pandemic, which is a collection of photographs that depict masks that have been safely collected from streets and sidewalks throughout Vancouver, which have been arranged to be photographed in various configurations. I’ll get Michelle to tell us about what she’s seen and what she depicts. The exhibit begins tomorrow, Wednesday, 03 March 2022, and runs until 10 April 2022. It’s at the Dal Schindell Gallery, 5800 University Boulevard, at UBC. Admission is free. I’ll ask Ms. Huisman about how she takes the photographs, and how they’re printed. It’s a 19th-century technique called tri-colour bichromate gum over palladium. Michelle Huisman is a graduate of Ryerson and Emily Carr University. Visit www.MichelleHuisman.com for more, as well as www.schindellgallery.ca. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Michelle Leone Huisman; Ms. Huisman, good morning.