ART, RESEARCH, PLAY: THE MIDNIGHT SUN CAMERA OBSCURA PROJECT

During Summer Solstice 2015 in Dawson City, Yukon, the Midnight Sun Camera Obscura Festival brought together an international gathering of artists and researchers in a celebration of art, science, culture, and wilderness. The festival was driven by Kamloops-based artist and professor Donald Lawrence, with funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada to support the project, allowing participants to create rich artwork that considered the interplay between art and science, as well as the concept of “the North." With maximum daylight to utilize, the festival included public-site installations, gallery exhibitions, workshops, a community exhibition, performances, tours, and public talks. It was an inspiring collaboration of art and science, research and play.

Camera obscura, a Latin phrase meaning ‘dark room’, refers to the use of darkened spaces into which light enters via a small opening, often accommodating a lens and mirror. Captivating contemporary artists and scholars, this simple yet effective technology is evidenced in the diversity of works presented in this exhibition. Featuring the camera obscura itself, images projected by various devices, documentation of the event, and new work derived from initial research, the display is further complemented by Star Shed, a multi-aperture camera obscura chamber, built on the McMaster Museum of Art's lawn.

With support from Thompson Rivers University, McMaster Museum of Art, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, The Canada Council for the Arts, Thompson Rivers University Office of Research and Graduate Studies, and University of Lethbridge Office of Research Services.