What Time Is This Place? : Sylvia Galbraith | Contact Photo Festival | Main Gallery Exhibition
9 May - 7 June 2025
  • Sylvia Galbraith, Sunrise Over Bird Island, ed. of 10, 2022 (View more details about this item in a popup).
    Sylvia Galbraith, Morning in the Red Cliffe Kitchen, ed. of 10, 2024 (View more details about this item in a popup).
    Sylvia Galbraith, Afternoon Light, Bird Island, ed. of 10, 2022 (View more details about this item in a popup).
    Sylvia Galbraith, Hilda’s Bedroom, East View, ed. of 10, 2022 (View more details about this item in a popup).
    Sylvia Galbraith, Main Road With Boats and Butterflies, ed. of 10, 2022 (View more details about this item in a popup).
    Sylvia Galbraith, Sunrise Over Bird Island, 2022

  • Exhibition Statement

    Drawing the title from a book of the same name by Kevin Lynch, this body of work by Ontario photographer Sylvia Galbraith examines deep-rooted connections between people and their places of origin within the context of displacement, resettlement and renewal. She is particularly interested in relationships between buildings and people as part of an ever-changing and necessary historical process; through her work she considers their physical locations - why were they placed just so, or why was one view chosen over another? -  and their evolution through time as shaped by their inhabitants. 

    This exhibition comprises an on-going body of work begun during recent residencies in Newfoundland. Using camera obscura and pinhole techniques in buildings located in rural outports, Galbraith darkens individual rooms to allow only a tiny quantity of light into a space, essentially turning the space into a large camera.  Exterior scenes appear inside the rooms and wander across inside walls; the sun rising over the sea reflects onto a bookshelf, and buildings are duplicated inside neighbouring structures.  By recording these views over extended periods of time – throughout the day, and in varying weather and lighting conditions – she connects the built environment with exterior views that have remained constant over time, conceptualizing the notion of within/without, terms that are inseparable in the minds of those who depend on the land and sea for sustenance, regardless of what village or country they might live in.  


    Working in small houses, churches, a luxury resort and others, Galbraith’s photographs describe how a building, while often reflecting social differences or human history,  also witnesses the incremental situational changes brought about by the relentless progression of time within a location.



    The artist wishes to acknowledge funding support from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Government of Ontario.

    • Sylvia Galbraith, Loretta’s Place, ed. of 10, 2019
      Sylvia Galbraith, Loretta’s Place, ed. of 10, 2019
      CAD 4,200.00
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    • Sylvia Galbraith, Afternoon Light, Bird Island, ed. of 10, 2022
      Sylvia Galbraith, Afternoon Light, Bird Island, ed. of 10, 2022
      CAD 3,800.00
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    • Sylvia Galbraith, Morning in the Red Cliffe Kitchen, ed. of 10, 2024
      Sylvia Galbraith, Morning in the Red Cliffe Kitchen, ed. of 10, 2024
      CAD 3,600.00
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    • Sylvia Galbraith, Hilda’s Bedroom, East View, ed. of 10, 2022
      Sylvia Galbraith, Hilda’s Bedroom, East View, ed. of 10, 2022
      CAD 1,600.00
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    • Sylvia Galbraith, Main Road With Boats and Butterflies, ed. of 10, 2022
      Sylvia Galbraith, Main Road With Boats and Butterflies, ed. of 10, 2022
      CAD 1,600.00
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    • Sylvia Galbraith, Morning Light, Red Cliffe, ed. of 10, 2024
      Sylvia Galbraith, Morning Light, Red Cliffe, ed. of 10, 2024
      CAD 1,700.00
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    • Sylvia Galbraith, Gary's Place, Living Room, ed. of 10, 2019
      Sylvia Galbraith, Gary's Place, Living Room, ed. of 10, 2019
      CAD 1,600.00
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    • Sylvia Galbraith, Harbour View, Union Electric Building, ed. of 10, 2022
      Sylvia Galbraith, Harbour View, Union Electric Building, ed. of 10, 2022
      CAD 1,600.00
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    • Sylvia Galbraith, Holy Martyr's Church, From My Living Room, ed. of 10, 2021
      Sylvia Galbraith, Holy Martyr's Church, From My Living Room, ed. of 10, 2021
      CAD 1,600.00
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    • Sylvia Galbraith, Towards Fox Island, ed. of 10, 2022
      Sylvia Galbraith, Towards Fox Island, ed. of 10, 2022
      CAD 1,600.00
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    • Sylvia Galbraith, West Wall, Sandy Cove, ed. of 10, 2022
      Sylvia Galbraith, West Wall, Sandy Cove, ed. of 10, 2022
      CAD 1,600.00
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    • Sylvia Galbraith, Charlie's Cove, West Wall, ed. of 10, 2023
      Sylvia Galbraith, Charlie's Cove, West Wall, ed. of 10, 2023
      CAD 1,800.00
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    • Sylvia Galbraith, Sunrise Over Bird Island, ed. of 10, 2022
      Sylvia Galbraith, Sunrise Over Bird Island, ed. of 10, 2022
      CAD 1,000.00
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    • Sylvia Galbraith, Sunset, Bonavista Bay, ed. of 10, 2019
      Sylvia Galbraith, Sunset, Bonavista Bay, ed. of 10, 2019
      CAD 900.00
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    • Sylvia Galbraith, Pinhole View #3, ed. of 10, 2022
      Sylvia Galbraith, Pinhole View #3, ed. of 10, 2022
      CAD 450.00
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    • Sylvia Galbraith, Pinhole View #4, ed. of 10, 2022
      Sylvia Galbraith, Pinhole View #4, ed. of 10, 2022
      CAD 450.00
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    • Sylvia Galbraith, Pinhole View #6, ed. of 10, 2022
      Sylvia Galbraith, Pinhole View #6, ed. of 10, 2022
      CAD 450.00
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    • Sylvia Galbraith, Pinhole View #7, ed. of 10, 2024
      Sylvia Galbraith, Pinhole View #7, ed. of 10, 2024
      CAD 450.00
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    • Sylvia Galbraith, Sunspot #1, ed. of 10, 2022
      Sylvia Galbraith, Sunspot #1, ed. of 10, 2022
      CAD 450.00
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    • Sylvia Galbraith, Sunspot #2, ed. of 10, 2022
      Sylvia Galbraith, Sunspot #2, ed. of 10, 2022
      CAD 450.00
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    • Sylvia Galbraith, Sunspot #3, ed. of 10, 2022
      Sylvia Galbraith, Sunspot #3, ed. of 10, 2022
      CAD 450.00
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  • About the Artist

    About the Artist

    SYLVIA GALBRAITH, based in Fergus, ON, is a photographic artist whose traditional methods of image creation are joined with a contemporary practice of using video and installation as well as alternate photographic processes. She has worked with several art forms over the years including oils, charcoal and clay, but found that the restrictions inherent to the camera inspired and challenged her more than any other art form. Her current practice demonstrates a deep connection with the landscapes and people found in some of Canada’s loneliest places.

     

    Galbraith has participated in residencies in Newfoundland, Banff, AB, Northern Ontario, and Iceland and has exhibited in solo shows as well as in numerous group exhibitions.  Her  photographs can be found in corporate, public and private collections throughout Canada and internationally, and she has received many awards and bursaries for her work.

     

    In addition to her artistic practice, Galbraith is actively involved in the arts community as a teacher and curator. She has taught photography courses throughout Canada, including for the University of Toronto, University of Brandon, MB, Humber College, and was a faculty member in the Conestoga College Photography Certificate Program (Kitchener ON) for 12 years. She currently teaches workshops from her studio in Fergus and as a guest instructor at various art centres across Canada, and is the curator for the Elora Centre for the Arts in Elora ON.

     
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