2020: A year in vision is an important body of work by Glen Perotte. At its heart is a visual close up study of ‘being human’. Each portrait is of a member of our community, some well known, others not. The visual juxtaposition consciously orchestrated to delight in diversity and contrasts.
The seed of this project was planted when Glen began making large scale portraits of people whose lives intersected with his in Florida and recording their stories. The project titled OPEN was exhibited at the Tampa Museum of Art. The photographs were accompanied by an audio guide of the subjects recounting their own stories. This combination of image and voice allowed the subjects to speak for themselves. Ten years later, and this project continues to unfold. Using photography, Glen continues to document the people around him and the times we are living through.
Glen captures his subjects in breath-taking detail through a slow and purposeful process. His playful name for this technique is “Big Heads” because it allows him to display the images on a large scale. Using an optical technique that employs multiple exposures and differing focal points, Glen combines the images like those of a kaleidoscope to create a new form of hyper-realistic portraiture.
The value of Glen’s work is undeniably significant. In providing us with an account of humanity, the work has depicted a reality and created the illusion of a new one. The narratives are unscripted and unedited. They discuss themes of an emotional, social, cultural and political nature. They describe not only our old life but the life we now perceive, have tasted, reflected on, and the one perhaps, we may choose with our 2020 vision, quite literally and metaphorically a powerful lens. Finding ourselves confronted with our own mortality and with time for reflection, there is a desire to use our new self-knowledge to live authentically, to take control of the way in which we live, to be true to ourselves – not blind conformists. There is recognition that being genuine has been devalued in our culture and that the pandemic has shown us that it is acts of collaboration and good intent that have the greatest value.
The book and the exhibition would not have been possible without the belief and support of our sponsors Baccata Trustees Limited, The Channel Islands Co-operative Society Limited, IoD Jersey and Kendrick Rose. Thank you for being so enthusiastic.
The limited edition book will be available to buy through CCA Galleries International and to pre-order at 2020.glenperotte.com. All profits from the sale of the book are being donated to Jersey Hospice Care to help the charity in its service to our community.
The exhibition of Glen’s work will open at CCA Galleries International in December, with large scale prints, showing the portraiture in all its glorious detail.
Glen Perotte: 2020: A Year in vision.
CCA Galleries International
14th December – 29th January
PICTURED:
Blair Talibard, Gardener
What’s my perspective of 2020
Lockdown began with the fear of what was to come
People panic buying lots and lots of toilet rolls
Was that because they were sh*ting themselves?
Two hours of exercise allowed, road checks,
lockdown, an Honorary Policeman’s wet dream
“You’re well out of your parish – how long have you been out?”
You can not only find a site
you can build a whole hospital
in a few of weeks, then listen to grumbling “HOW MUCH?”
You can’t put a price on your HEALTH sheg!
The whole island appeared to be paddle boarding
Maybe to escape to Guernsey for Vale Earth Fair
Yes that’s how desperate people are for some live music.
Driving past the Splash on a gorgeous sun filled evening
knowing it should be full of people
shut and empty
A cycle to Archirondel
took me back in time
Jersey a joy
roads with no cars
Shopping, a pleasure
buying fish off fisherman
scallops again for tea
veggies from a farm stall
Leaving others to join
off the scale
supermarket queues
The sky looks nice with no plane trails
I thought about all the times
I had booked a flight last minute to get away
And the sun came out after the second wettest winter on records the pubs opened and the fraggle rock came back to life.
