It all began with a trip to Gastown in Vancouver to do a model shoot. The model had wanted to be photographed in an alley that was covered in graffiti. When photographer Sandra McMartin began to work, she found herself transfixed by what she saw. Her camera swung back and forth between the model and the graffiti as she captured images of the scenes that surrounded her.
She returned to Gastown several times and discovered the transient nature of graffiti. With each trip she would discover that the graffiti she had photographed earlier had been sprayed over, added to, or peeling away. McMartin found herself drawn to the medium because of its interactive nature and its constant evolution. She decided to combine her love of graffiti with her photography to produce the show, “Slipping Away”.
Faith Wall
“I am captivated by graffiti artists,” said McMartin. “Most art is about leaving a legacy, something permanent, to give voice to an inner vision that you want to share and be remembered by. Graffiti is more akin to digital photography, transient unless transferred to a more permanent medium. Most art is protected by copyright, but graffiti is interactive. Someone paints something, someone adds something else, maybe things peel away and a new image is born. It is never stagnant. The art is the process, not the finished product.”
“Slipping Away” takes place at the Mission Art Gallery from April 30th – May 18th, 2013. Opening Ceremony is on Saturday, May 4, 1-4 pm.
Learn more about Sandra McMartin’s here.
To see a slideshow of her work click here.
