John Londoño’s Musical Eye
Future Islands. Snapshot Sessions. Photo John Londono.
The Phi Centre is hosting an exhibit by Montreal artist/photographer John Londoño titled ‘Snapshot Sessions’. The exhibition runs between November 21 – December 12, 2015 and captures captivating and personal images, intended to celebrate contemporary musicians.
Londoño has been working on his project Snapshot Sessions for the past eight years and it continues to be a work-in-progress. The transitory nature of its subjects and the spaces they inhabit appropriately makes it a continuous process. For this specific exhibit, Londoño’s subjects are local and international musicians who have passed through Montreal over the past year.
Snapshot Sessions. Photo John Londono.
Without conforming to notions of ‘setting up’ his subjects for his camera, Londoño ventures out into their personal and intimate spaces and lets his camera speak to them. It’s this momentary witnessing that he indulges in, without the need to forewarn or prepare that finds his subjects either moments before they walk on stage for a performance, or sitting in their hotel room, in a bus, anywhere. It’s taking the ‘action’ away from the stage that these artists usually use as their canvas to perform, thus bringing us something unique and emotionally intimate.
The idea is distinct and very curious as he takes us to these artists in their personal moments when not on stage/performing. From backstage access to waiting a few moments before a performance, to make up vans, the humor, the vulnerability and the humanity of the artists is in full display. And his own canvas is the enigma that is Montreal. Londoño wants to showcase the dynamic, motley, exuberant and ever changing nature of this city to us, and he does.
John Londono’s Snapshot Sessions runs from November 21 to December 12 at the Phi Centre. Free.
