Out of Many
Jorian Charlton

Curated by Emilie Croning

visit www.out-of-many.ca

Wedge Curatorial Projects in collaboration with Gallery TPW is pleased to present Out of Many. The exhibition pairs vintage 35mm slides from Jorian Charlton's family archive from the 1970s and 80s in Jamaica, Toronto, and New York with her own photographic practice that explores new visual references around Black aesthetics and Jamaican-Canadian identity. Out of Many foregrounds the intersections between public and private histories, asking: how do private materials such as family archives interact with and transform a public space? Both the exhibition and archive explore the fluidity of the immigration story, new ways of thinking about Caribbean-Canadian culture, and rediscover the family album through a contemporary lens.

While the slides––taken by and given to Charlton by her father––present familiar representations of home, freedom, and agency, in her own work the artist visualizes new ways of storytelling. Together, these images create a tangible archive of what was, what is, and what will become––one, out of many.

Programming will take place virtually and in-person according to provincial health guidelines and restrictions. Participants include Antwaun Sargent, Yaniya Lee, Vintage Black Canada, and VIBE Arts among others. Visit the exhibition website for updates.

Exhibition Launch
Saturday, February 6
In lieu of an in-gallery launch curtailed by the current COVID-19 restrictions, the online launch for Out of Many will include virtual exploration of Jorian Charlton’s work with writing by curator Emilie Croning. Visit www.out-of-many.ca on February 6 to explore the site. For information on the in-gallery launch, please check the exhibition website or follow Wedge and Gallery TPW on social media: @wedgetoronto and @gallertpw.

Antwaun Sargent & Yaniya Lee: In Conversation
Tuesday, February 9, 5–7pm
Online Zoom webinar. Please click here to register
In this conversation curator and art critic Antwaun Sargent, and writer and editor Yaniya Lee discuss Black aesthetics, public and private histories, and the transformative power of the family album.

Vintage Black Canada Instagram Takeover
February 15–21
Online Instagram @vintageblackcanada and @wedgetoronto
Throughout the week, Aaron Francis of Vintage Black Canada curates Jorian Charlton’s family archive via Instagram posts, stories, and live stories, and reflects on creating spaces for archived family histories. Special appearances on live stories by Jorian Charlton, Emilie Croning, and additional local artists.

Youth Reading Group: VIBE Arts 
Wednesday, March 17, 1–3pm
Artist Jorian Charlton, curator Emilie Croning, and curatorial assistant Syndé Barnes-Wright lead a closed youth reading group from VIBE Arts through themes in the exhibition anchored in bell hooks’ “In Our Glory: Photography and Black Life”.

All events are free admission. Out of Many is presented by Wedge Curatorial Projects, in collaboration with Gallery TPW, and with the generous support of the TD Ready Commitment.

Jorian Charlton is a portrait photographer based in Toronto. Her work focuses on Jamaican- Canadian culture through her personal experiences, highlighting beauty and style when it comes to contemporary modes of black representation. She explores reflections of identity and diasporic relationships to homeland, while her poetic approach to these themes characterizes her method of visual storytelling.

Emilie Croning is a Toronto-based emerging curator, artist, and scholar. Her work explores notions around identity and representation through visual language, working at the intersections of feminist theories, post-colonialism, and art history. She received her BFA in Art History & Studio Art from Concordia University (Montreal) and an MA in Art History with a Curatorial Studies in Visual Culture Diploma from York University (Toronto).

Sydné Barnes-Wright is a curious conscious whose creativity is formed through the exploration of storytelling with the fusion of garment making, photography and material culture.She is a graduate of George Brown College with a Diploma in Fashion Design and Techniques and is currently attending OCADU for Material Arts + Design. 

Gallery TPW is a leading artist-run centre dedicated to exhibiting underrepresented artistic and curatorial practices that push the boundaries of lens-based work.

For media information contact Wedge Director, Kenneth Montague, kenneth@wedgecuratorialprojects.org or Maria Kanellopoulos, maria@wedgecuratorialprojects.org. Contact Gallery TPW, info@gallerytpw.ca or visit their website for in-person gallery hours.

www.out-of-many.ca #joriancharltonoutofmany