Finding the extraordinary in things commonplace
Finding the extraordinary in things commonplace is a talent Jack Jackowetz has perfected. Capturing moments before they are gone - moments he knows are worth remembering. He has a unique way of documenting these moments in time; a stylised interpretation of reality, a style he calls post-impressionism photography. Jackowetz offers a glimpse into the culture and the energy of those who once occupied the spaces he portrays. Each image has a story to tell; a catalyst for the memories they rekindle.
Saturday morning at Manfredi’s Fruit Stand at the Brantford Farmers’ Market when the market was in front of City Hall. The Market moved to its current Greenwich Street location in 1964 when the City Hall was torn down. The City Hall was built in 1850. The image is from former Brantford resident John Kiedrowski.
This exhibit will feature 14 brand new images of Waterloo Region.
Nine Photographers and their interpretations of Waterloo, Ontario. Each photographers' images will be accompanied by originally commissioned works by sound artists (music, song, poetry, spoken word). Two shows - afternoon and evening.
Wine County Classic Boats celebrates the history, culture, and preservation of antique and classic boats. Through events and publications the organization strives to educate the public about these classic wonders. An annual boat show and recgatta is held on the third weekend of July at Depot Park, on Keuka Lake, in Hammondsport, NY.
The oldest general store in Ontario dates to 1845. It is located south and west of Belleville in Prince Edward County.
This sign, reimagined, stood on Hwy 5 near the intersection of Hwy 2 in Paris, Ontario.
Most recent commission for McAsphalt Industries
The Keuka Arts Festival is a fine art and skilled craft show that is held annually in Penn Yan, NY, on the second weekend in June, along the Keuka Lake Outlet Trail, a few blocks from downtown Penn Yan. The Keuka Arts Festival, once held at Keuka College, was revived in 2008 by a group of art lovers to recapture the magic of the original festival. I am the featured artist this year.
The Festival meanders along the beautiful Keuka Lake Outlet Trail, a favourite path for walkers and cyclists. There are vendors and activities all along the trail from the boat launch to the downtown.
Local restaurants, wineries, and microbreweries offer an array of culinary delights, and tastings, and the farmers market features local, seasonal produce. Entertainment is featured throughout each day of the festival all along the trail.
And Now For Something Completely Different, my latest exhibit runs throughout the month of May at the Blue Dog Coffee Roasters, 199 Brant Ave. This show features my experiments with objects and things, and shapes and patterns; subject matter I've had fun with but never exhibited before. I would like to acknowledge funding support from the Ontario Arts Council - Conseil des arts de l'Ontario, an agency of the Government of Ontario.
My new exhibit, Exhibition No. 5 opened at Laurier Brantford’s Yellow Brick Wall, 97 Dalhousie Street, on Monday 5-January. This exhibit is my first in Brantford since 2013 and features 20 never before shown pieces. The title of the exhibit refers to this being the fifth exhibit since the Yellow Brick Wall gallery opened in February-2014. Through the pieces I continue my exploration and interpretation of Brantford.
Our built heritage is an ignored backdrop to our daily life. We are focussed on getting from one place to another. We rarely pay attention to our surroundings because of their slow rate of change. My goal is to bring our surroundings to the forefront; to rediscover the ignored beauty of our built environment.
My south side of Colborne Street streetscapes are popular and two blocks are exhibited. However, I find the back of the buildings along Water Street more interesting because of their various sizes and shapes and the seemingly haphazard placement of the buildings. The Water Street streetscape captures a perspective you could never experience because portions of Water Street were obstructed by the parking garage or evergreens that prevented your ability to view the blocks as one whole. The streetscape of Water Street had not changed dramatically since the 1880s, until its demolition in 2010.
The Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo Railway station on Market Street South has long been a favourite of mine. In 2009 the rail line past the station was still in use but by 2014 trains no longer run on this section of track. It is remarkable this station still survives given that TH & B passenger train service ceased through in Brantford on 25-September-1954.
Small independent stores are often the hidden gems of our neighbourhood, known only to those who inhabit the neighbourhood, yet an integral part of the community. We can trace our earliest community memories to these stores: ice cream, chips, magazines, milk, and cigarettes.
Through my artistic pursuits I have become aware of how much our surroundings change: they are in a constant state of change. I am astonished by how many places I had captured in the last ten years are no longer around. Progress is relentless and new ventures replace old ones; some ventures are fleeting. The Verity Plow and Cockshutt complexes covered 52 acres of Eagle Place since the 1890s but as of 2014 almost no trace of these former industrial giants exists, except in our memories, photographs and artistic renderings.
The exhibit is open for viewing Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM and often into the early evening hours, whenever the building is open for classroom purposes. The exhibit runs until Friday 13-February.
The Second Edition of The Places We Live: Sudbury, Ontario will be available on Saturday 18-October-2014 at Chapters on the Kingsway and Coles at the New Sudbury Centre. I will be at Chapters on Saturday from 11 AM to 3 PM signing copies of my new book.
