Willock & Sax Gallery in Banff is the place to be this month during Exposure 2011: the Calgary Banff Canmore Photography Festival, if you want to explore the role of the book in photography.
The Banff gallery is hosting Book Lovers – A Selection of Photographic Books, opening Saturday, Feb. 5 from 2-4 p.m., featuring a variety of books dedicated to the many different aspects that fall within the art of photography.
Susan Sax-Willock said Monday (Jan. 30) she and her husband Tom Willock wanted to do something different for the annual photography festival and, given their love for the printed word and, of course, the printed photograph, it was the perfect choice.
“Tom and I brainstormed and both of us have a tremendous love of books,” she said, adding between the two of them they have built a personal library of nearly 20,000 books.
“It is definitely something that comes out of our own interest. And we have been introducing books into the gallery more, particularily since the Book and Art Den closed.”
The gallery will have 20 to 25 titles on hand, all of which are for sale, that explore the art, history and philosophy of photography, along with titles that focus on art and painting in general and limited edition photographic books featuring the works of Craig Richards and Steve Speer.
“We’ve got some titles you normally wouldn’t see and that is exciting because we tend to go towards those more obscure things; but there are definitely some very interesting books and a chance to meet the photographers,” she said.
Richards, Speer and Canmore writer Bob Sandford will be at Willock & Sax during the opening to present their work.
Willock & Sax is also collaborating with the Steven Bulger Gallery in Toronto to present books by photographer Larry Towell, who was the main speaker at the 2010 festival.
“It gives us a chance to indulge our own interests, and then hopefully, other people in the community and those coming around for Exposure will think the same thing,” she said.
For more information on the 2011 Exposure festival, go to www.exposurephotofestival.com
