The art world has a somewhat snobbish reputation. Too upper crust for the average person, it seems by-and-large impregnable to the wider public.
But one group of committed community members is looking to burst that bubble with a recent initiative to involve more people in the Ottawa art scene.
Civil Servants, a group of anonymous Ottawa art lovers, is trying to reclaim the art world for the average Joe by involving the general public in Picturama, a new bi-monthly community photography showcase at Fall Down Gallery.
Held for the first time on Nov. 26, Picturama is a free one-night art show without the pretensions of your typical exhibition. Organized by Civil Servants, the showcase allowed anyone from the general public, regardless of skill level or experience, to submit their own four-by-four or four-by-six photographs for display.
The group chose the best submissions and showed each selection anonymously, so that amateur picture takers were exhibited alongside professional photographers.
Anonymity is central to Civil Servants’ style. Photographs at Picturama were displayed with no names attached so that the event could be totally art-centric.
The group says it’s not about who is behind the photos but rather creating a space where anybody from the community, regardless of background, can experience art. Taking things one step further, Civil Servants even keeps its members’ identities secret to emphasize the fact that, unlike typical art shows, its events are all about involving a larger audience rather than simply promoting a certain artist or gallery.
“It’s more about the photo itself than who took the shot,” said one Civil Servants member. “You have people that have taken photos for the very first time, maybe created an Instagram account for the very first time, and you also have people that show work at galleries for hundreds of dollars.”
Organizers said the beauty of Picturama is that once displayed side by side, visitors could not tell the difference between the amateur shots and the professional photography. Just as organizers intended, once within the mélange of photos, what was in front of the camera became the focus of visitors, not who was behind it.
“Picturama is kind of like a real world Instagram,” said the Civil Servants member. “It’s sort of like going through online social networks and liking photos no matter who the person is—whether they’re a professional or whether they’re a little six year-old kid.”
According to Civil Servants, around 50 artists took part in the exhibition, submitting over 600 photos. Photographs at the exhibition were sold to members of the public for $2 each, with half of the proceeds going to the artists and the other half going to organizers to pay for gallery space and logistical costs.
Based on the high number of submissions received for the first showing, Civil Servants said it will probably have to expand into Fall Down Gallery’s downstairs space for its next show.
The next Picturama event is planned for January 2014.
