stephen waddell at Monte Clark Gallery (752 Queen West) until December 22. 416-703-1700. Rating: NNN
The large-format c-prints ber-lin-based Vancouverite Stephen Waddell is exhibiting at Monte Clark Gallery show why the West Coast venue’s brand new T-dot branch makes a welcome addition to the local scene. Waddell’s life-sized photos of people shot on the street — mostly in Berlin — ripple with implied narrative excitement (a man drinks coffee, a women leans against a door). But they lack the theatrical baggage more senior Vancouver school photographers pack into their ambitious tableaux. In film terms, Waddell’s characters come across as minimalist, austere and noir.
Too bad about the paintings — super- realist oils that look like they were made for greeting cards.
deirdre@nowtoronto.com
