Exhibitions:
Left: window view, above: detail, photos: John Howarth
Kenneth Montague
Victorian
16.04.10 – 25.05.10
In Victorian at *QueenSpecific, curator and art collector Kenneth Montague highlights 3 pieces from his collection of objects.
The hat, the mask and the book are all vintage items. The gentleman's top hat (England, c.1900) was worn as a social signifier and fashion statement; it hangs above a Bobo helmet mask (Burkina Faso, c.1900) that was employed in traditional ceremonies. The book African Masks (first edition; Paul Hamlyn Publishers, London) is a translated version of the original text by Italian writer Franco Monti. Although it is a 1969 publication, the editor's language suggests a decidedly Victorian viewpoint.
Founder and director of Wedge Curatorial Projects, Kenneth Montague is based in Toronto, Canada. Recent curatorial projects include Becoming at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Detroit; head room at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, Toronto; Always Moving Forward: Contemporary African Photography from the Wedge Collection at Gallery 44, Toronto – a CONTACT 2010 exhibition, opening May 1st and Position As Desired, an upcoming investigation of African Canadian identity at the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto.
The Wedge Collection has grown to encompass both historical and contemporary photography, as well as non-photo based works that challenge notions of representation and identity.
For more information, please visit www.wedgegallery.com