Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Bruce Allen

At Vancouver Magazine, Chris Dahl pushed me to innovate even though I resisted. He insisted I had to do some back projection photographs. I explained that the technique was possible in Toronto where they had the equipment but in Vancouver he could forget it. Finally just not to hear him I did a series of portraits of people in the local music industry (here you see Sam Feldman) projecting slides behind them and then taking one photograph that would include the projection and my subject. It was not easy but it calmed Dahl for a while. Then Dahl said he wanted the same thing but in colour and he nagged. We chose the Canucks as our subjects. The problem is that I had to take the projection equipment to the Coliseum as the Canucks would not come to the studio. I remember having to rent a huge white canvas to use as a projection screen. In this shot of Stan Smyl (December 1985), I discovered that to get real energy I had to ask him to scream at me.

Stan Smyl

This technique worked even better years later with Bruce Allen. He shouted as many obscenities as he could (he has the reputation of being an expert at this) in my direction. Since I was no more than three feet away I can attest that this was a loud experience I will never forget. Rodney Graham and Neil Wedman (both artists at the time had studios on my floor) came to see if I was okay.

Bruce Allen