The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Wednesday, May 19, 1999 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER B5 =5 Arts & Entertainment OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR OF THE OAKVILLE CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS O akville Beaver E ntertainm ent Editor: Carol Baldwin 845-3824 (Extension 254) WHY ARE 37 MILLION CARS INSURED WITH STATE FARM? JUST ASK A GOOD NEIGHBOR. Don't trust just anyone to insure your car, see me: Wayne M cGill 2345 W y ro o ft RcL #21. Oakville 847-5671 i Novel pictures Photographs at Centennial Gallery are arranged like chapters in a book Photo by Riziero Vertolli Ahsa Almas, a gallery attendant at Centennial Gallery, admires the photographs of Raymonde April. By Diane Hart SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Q uebec artist Raymonde April doesn't mind being compared to a novelist. In fact, in many ways, look­ing at her large black-and- white photographs, installed in a frieze-like manner at Oakville's spa­ cious Centennial Gallery, is very much like turning the pages of a dense piece of fiction. "I take photographs impulsively," she explained at the opening of her exhibit Les Fleuves Invisibles/lnvisi- ble Rivers now on view until June. What interests this photographer is not the images themselves; it is the juxtaposition of the photographs and what she calls "that in-between place" that is more fascinating. "I find that much more challenging (than taking individual photographs)," she said. In a later interview, she dismissed the speculation that there is a theme running through her work, a simple barriers-and-boundaries explanation about the work she sees as having far deeper meaning. "I prefer not to be too rational about it all," she said with a smile. For April all the photos on the wall are put together like chapters of a novel. They can be read alone, but she prefers that they be seen in their entirety. It is for this reason the pho­ tographs are all the same large format and each series is segmented into five "friezes" installed as one rhythmic unit. "I like to look upon each one of the series as a chapter in a book and each one has its own atmosphere," she explains. "But it is in the meeting of the images that the tension, the interest, comes about." Comprised of 33 new and old black-and-white photographs arranged in five distinct parts, her exhibit projects a powerful statement on the walls of Centennial Gallery. Despite what she admits are often banal images - spontaneous photos of friends and family, interspersed with exterior and interior images - she believes the series is imbued with a rhythm and harmony, a fluidity that transforms the banal into the poetic. All the photographs depict either landscapes or familiar figures doing less than remarkable things. Two peo­ ple lounge on a couch, another walks outside. A small bungalow on a street sits in the light of the evening; a fence stretches the length of the field. Although each panel is distinctly individual, April believes the images alter as a whole: viewed as a repeated series it transforms into something else altogether. "All of these images are of people and places, and to me they are all just about to do something. Something is about to happen in every one of them." And yet, to April, this was not a deliberate aim when she pointed her camera at friends and family one day, then again two weeks later, and again three months after that. She never takes an entire roll of film before starting on another. She prefers to shoot indiscriminately and then see what happens. "It is very close to writing, this process of mine," she said. "A poetic structure is created, but not by indi- . vidual images." When one member of the small crowd .that had gathered at her infor­ mal talk in the gallery suggested one theme was present in her work, April was careful to say that she is not that deliberate about her work. "It is OK if that is what he thinks," she said, with another smile. "But those were his words, not mine." She went on the say that her work is so anecdotal, many people believe they can tell the story of what she is trying to say. And she encourages anyone with an interest in her work to try to tell the story of her work. But she is equally quick to point out it may not be the entire story. "Everything I do is by intuition, so I don't like to get too literal." The exhibit continues at Centenni­ al Gallery until June 6th. An Epic Fantasy Adventure for the Whole Family! Enter the masical kinsdom of Narnia and join the children on a wondrous tale of faith, betrayal, temptation, and the strussle between good and evil. A favourite of readers of all ages C.S. Lewis' Namia tales have captivated generations of readers! May 27-29 7:30pm May 27& 2 9 2pm Saturday May 29 at 2:00pm American Sign Language Interpreted Performance A d u lts $ 4 0 /$ 3 0 C h ild re n 1 2 a n d u n d e r $ 1 0 d is c o u n t (w tic r a cco n tp w iie d b y an a d u lt) The most RAVISHING show you may ever see..." - Liz Smith, Syndicated Columnist The timeless Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, with memorable songs such as Getting To Know you, and Shall We Dance? Join Anna and The King of Siam for one incredible evening of musical theatre! May 3 0 2pm & 7pm Two Shows Only! Tickets $50/$40 Hwy 403 & Hwy 10 w est o f Square O ne • Free un de rg round parking • www.ljv ingarts.on.c Maximizers, minimizers, push-ups, beautiful lace, comfort bras, t-shirt bras, body slimmers. From Petite to Full Figure. Great selection. Professional fitting everyday. One Act Festival Support our local theatrical talent. Sunday, May 23 First Session at 2:00 p.m. Second Session at 6:00 p.m m That Dorothy Parker... In the Studio Theatre Fri., & Sat., May 28 & 29 at 8:30 p.m. Written & performed by Carol Lempert | A one woman tour-de-force chronicles Dorothy Parker's | life and work. A witty, biting, touching slice of I literary history! (905)815-2021 B e c o m e a B ig T i c k e t M e m b e r N O W and attend our Member Season Preview Tonight at The Oakville Centre You could win 2 tickets to Michelle Wright, dinner for two at Paradiso Restaurant and more! Visit the b o x office, 1 30 N a v y Street (o t La k e sh o re ), M o n d a y to F rida y, noo n to 5 p .m .; S a tu rd a y 2 to 5 p .m .; o r tw o ho urs before show tim e . For m o re in fo rm a tio n on upco m ing show s e x p lo re o u r w ebsite at W W W .f lt4 jp M 9 & l b y Affirmative Communications. For only $30 you get: • savings o f 20% on the shows o f your choice • first chance a t the best seats in the house • mailing list priority • special offers from associated restaurants & retailers JO IN N O W ! The Oakville Beaver § official media sponsor o f The OakriUe Centre Cotton Pickin' Sale! ENTIRE STOCK! 100% COTTONS & COTTON BLENDS NOW OPEN SUNDAYS 12-5 140 R ebecca St. O A K V IL L E .844-7728 http://www.ljvingarts.on.c