Group Exhibition Occupational Portraits

Occupational Portraits depicts traditional tradespeople in contemporary contexts using the 19th-century photographic process of the tintype. The skills of these chefs, carpenters, farmers, and artists are determined by the tools of their trades and the hands that wield them. A “trade” of another kind, tintype photography requires the same passion, dedication, and manual skill modelled by the subjects featured in this exhibition. Though the tintype process explicitly references a historical period in photography, The Tintype Studio artists observe and record the modern world. Images of tradespeople captured through an old-fashioned technique shorten the distance between past and present, as the representation of an individual’s professional pride proves timeless.

Drop in for portrait sessions on May 4, 18, 25, and 26. The Tintype Studio will continue building their portrait series over the course of the Festival, resulting in a collection of tintypes that exemplify the resurgence and resilience of traditional craft, and the value of the knowledge that its subjects possess.

Curated by Staceylee Turner