The Gladstone Hotel's Exposed showcase was definitely the spot of hotness in Toronto this evening, in opening its doors to Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival goers. With plenty of gorgeous faces to be seen and rooms filled wall to wall with exquisiteness, the hotel is a compulsory stop if you are planning to attend this year's festival.
Featured on the hotel's second floor is a vast array of fresh talent and particularly striking I found, was the work of Toronto photographer Natalia Sokolovska who returns to the festival for a second time after having made her debut last year. Her Hidden Spaces collection essentially is a love letter to Toronto, taking recognizable landmarks around the city in photo form, adding to them new dimension, depth in shadows and gorgeous treatments. Although not particularly abstract or philosophical, Sokolovska's work is sheer beauty, like frames from a film with masterful cinematography. Seeing Toronto through her lens instills a sense of pride in me as a Torontonian and if that's not Pervasive Influence, I don't know what is. See more of her work here.
Perhaps some of the more recognizable pieces at this year's festival are those of Katia Houde's and we created them in our own image exhibit. I had the pleasure of working with Houde many years ago when we were both slumming it in our Call Centre jobs and in all honesty I had no idea she possessed such talent until today. Her collection is adorable and poignant. Using Cats and Dogs as her subjects, Houde dresses these animals in campy outfits, placing them against backdrops we'd find in old elementary school photos and family portraits. The sad reality is that many Pet Owners subject their Cats and Dogs to very human values and belief systems, explaining why Gourmet Pet Food, Clothing, Grooming and Furniture are such big businesses. Heck, count me among the guilty with my dog Billy's collection of fancy Collars, Leashes and Organic Dog Treats! Visit Houde's official website here.
