Galerie XII Celebrating Black History Month
Show Dates: February 5 - 28th, 2022
Opening Reception: Saturday, February 5th from 3-5pm.
We have chosen to exhibit two young artists whose works celebrate the creativity and energy of a new generation embracing its own roots and identity: Yannis Davy Guibinga (b. 1999, Gabon, lives and works in Montreal) and Aaron Lacy (Los Angeles, b.1984).
In counterpoint, we will show jazz photographs of the 1950s, a period when the laws of segregation were still in force in the United States and musicians were feted in Post-war Europe.
Yannis Davy Guibinga
Yannis is a 26-year-old photographer from Libreville, Gabon currently based in Montréal, Canada. In order to contribute to a change in the narrative about the continent, Yannis Davy Guibinga has found in photography a strength and a tool allowing him to not only celebrate but also to document and represent the many cultures and identities on the African continent and its diaspora.
The negative stereotypes ascribed to the African continent before, during and after colonial times are still considered factual by many today, and the idea that the continent remains primitive and underdeveloped has always informed the way people think about and interact with Africa. His portrait photography is a documentation of a new generation of Africans, unapologetically embracing their many identities and cultures in the face of globalization and Western cultural imperialism. His work also focuses on highlighting the diversity of African identities, as well as how these identities are created through the intersection of different factors such as gender, culture and socioeconomic status. By letting each image tell a different story and illustrate a unique experience, point of view and perspective, Yannis Davy Guibinga with colors, shapes and shadows creates a world of powerful, beautiful and dignified Africans regardless of gender performance, class or sexual orientation.
Aaron Lacy
Los Angeles based Photographer Aaron Lacy is primarily known for his iconic “Milk” Series which includes hundreds of black-and-white images that portray the dynamics of the fluid frozen in time as it comes in contact with the feminine form. Lacy meticulously poses his subjects and uses high speed photography techniques to capture these discreet and captivating moments often giving the appearance of suspended reality. Lacy’s technical approach to photography can be attributed to his background in electrical engineering. His works have received acclaim for their minimalistic qualities and enigmatic nature and can be found in prestigious collections around the country.
JAZZ POWER
At the time of the laws of racial segregation in the United States, in force until 1964, rare are the magazines which put in cover African Americans. The first issue of Jazz Magazine (France) did it in December 1954. From the outset, the young team of the magazine, under the guidance of the founder and editor-in-chief Daniel Filipacchi, became the apostle of musical borrowing and cultural exchanges, witnessing ardently the struggles for civil rights in America, as well as the discrimination suffered by African Americans on both sides of the Atlantic. Jean-Marie Périer, a very young photographer at the time, was a major contributor for the first issues. His biological father, Henri Salvador, was a Caribbean musician and composer. Even if he did not raise his son, the passion for jazz was in his genes. The exhibition includes rare prints by Daniel Filipacchi and Jean-Marie Périer from the years 1955-1960 as well as prints by William Claxton of the same period.
