NEW! Radical Softness: Bearing Witness through Image-Making

This workshop invites participants in an engaged conversation on the possibilities of welcoming vulnerability into one’s creative practice. Led by lens-based artist Beau Gomez, this workshop will explore the affective nature of photography; whether through (re)building a relationship with the inner/emotional self, or in sharing personal histories with others, it considers the capacity of image-making to not only arouse trust and tenderness, but also in its ability to be confrontational. Such themes and connections will be exemplified through the artist’s ongoing work with photographs, moving image, text and dialogue, as well as excerpts and references from his personal journal and vision board.

Participants are asked to bring an item that has significantly reshaped, challenged or changed their perspective as an artist, or in life. This could be a photograph, a book, a song, a film or scene/still from a film, a piece of writing (poem, excerpt, article, etc.), or even a memory from childhood, adolescence or recent past. Participants are encouraged to briefly speak about their choice and share with the group. Through participation in this collaborative exploration, we shed light on the intricate manners in which vulnerability becomes intertwined with both creative expression and growth.

An arts-and-text resource kit will be provided to participants after the session.