© Daniel Handal; *“Bunny Tails (Black Iron Silhouette,”* 2022; Pigment print on gesso-coated aluminum, painted museum box (Edition of 3 + 2 APs); 13.5 x 9 x 1.5 inches. Courtesy CLAMP.

CLAMP | Daniel Handal: Engaños, July 8 – September 9, 2023

“‘Engaños’ (Spanish for ‘deceptions’ or ‘illusions’), draws inspiration from Joris-Karl Huysmans’ 1884 literary classic Against the Grain, which explores themes of individuality, nonconformity, and authenticity.

“The novel, a seminal work of Decadent literature, centers on Jean des Esseintes, a reclusive aesthete who attempts to create a perfect, artificial world for himself. As part of his experiment, he collects artificial flowers that appear to be natural. Later, as his intellectual curiosity progresses, des Esseintes starts seeking out natural flowers that appear to have been artificially made. Handal’s project takes this concept a step further by presenting flowers as optical illusions, blurring the line between reality and representation.”

For more information visit CLAMP.

Kelani Abass. *Scrap of Evidence*, *Makohun I*, 2019. Digital print, oil on canvas, cornerstone, rubber block, Overall: 30 × 35 cm. Art Gallery of Ontario. Purchase, with funds from The Garrett-Longe Family, 2022. © Kelani Abass. 2022/7086.

Art Gallery of Ontario | Re-Mixing African Photography, July 8, 2023 - January 7, 2024

“On view now at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), Re-Mixing African Photography: Kelani Abass, Mallory Lowe Mpoka and Abraham Oghobase presents new and recent works by three contemporary African artists. United by their shared interest in the photographic histories of West and Central Africa—specifically studio portraiture – these artists are reimagining traditions with introspective, experimental and critical approaches. Featuring family photographs, archival material and mixed media objects, the exhibition is curated by Dr. Julie Crooks, Curator, Arts of Global Africa and the Diaspora, and organized by the AGO.

“‘The works here on view reflect the enduring influence of the many African studio photographers who came before and look towards the future, demonstrating varying degrees of nostalgia and critique and reflecting their makers own unique perspectives and approaches,’ says Dr. Julie Crooks, Curator, Arts of Global Africa and the Diaspora.”

For more information visit AGO.

© Henry Wessel, *Waikiki No. 12*, 1983, Gelatin silver print, 16 x 19.87 inches. Courtesy Rena Bransten Gallery.

Rena Bransten Gallery | Henry Wessel: On the Shore, July 8 - September 9, 2023

“In celebration of summer, and in conjunction with our exhibition of paintings by Nobuyuki Takahashi, Rena Bransten Gallery is pleased to present a selection of photographs by Henry Wessel (b.1942 – d.2018).

“The images on view here represent some of Wessel’s lesser-known work, while maintaining his underlying ethos and signature style: reveling in the oddities of this beautiful world.

“A fascination in the overlapping space between the built and the natural environment is at the core of Wessel’s work, seen here as images of Waikiki which was already a highly developed beach resort when these photographs were made in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Through Wessel’s eye, always leaning towards humor and the absurd, we see images of lounging vacationers, rows of surf boards, exuberant children playing in the waves, a couple posing under a palm tree with an ominous figure lurking behind. The heat from the summer sun is palpable, even in black and white. Viewed now, decades after they were taken, these photographs become time capsules of culture, portraying a pre-cell phone, pre-internet era of leisure – an enviable time.”

For more information visit Rena Bransten Gallery.