Recent History – 1998
Jan. 5, 1999: by Mike Leschart, Daily News Staff
Three seasoned local artists will be unveiling their work at the Dawson Creek Art Gallery tonight at an exhibition appropriately titled Us Old Boys Show.
Photographers Lawrence McGillvray and Allan Grayston have been shooting nature for years, and the exhibit demonstrates this. The work consists mostly of natural scenes frozen in time, including wildlife and landscapes, but with a few rodeo shots mixed in. Both have had their work published, but don’t make the mistake calling them professionals, they say.
“We’re not professionals,” says McGillvray adamantly, “and anybody that tries to print me as a professional I’ll argue with. Just call us hobbyists.”
Their photographic style, like the scenes their work conveys, is simple and uncluttered.
“Everything’s natural,” says McGillvray. “We use no filters, we don’t use reflectors, we use natural light. You’ll see one of mine that’s kind of foggy — that’s because it was taken in the rain, taken in the fog, but that’s what was out there.”
Grayston echoes this sentiment, adding that while he has photographed numerous weddings and people, nature is simply more appealing.
“I’m just more interested in the outdoors.” he says. I’m an outdoors person.”
The exhibition is not limited to photos. It also showcases the intricate carvings of John Dobrowolski. His woodwork depicts historical situations, but they aren’t well-known scenes from text books. Dobrowolski moulds his carvings into shapes taken from his mind — they are scenes representing stories his father once told him, scenes pulled from the region’s history.
Not one to speak endlessly about his work, when asked why he decided to exhibit his carvings, Dobrowolski simply jokes, “They twisted my arm.”
There is a comradeship evident among the three, fashioned over years. They joke easily in the gallery, apparently unaffected by the anxiety of the upcoming opening. They also know who deserves most of the credit for making it happen.
“Our wives pushed us into it,” McGillvray says, laughing.
The opening of Us Old Boys Show begins at 7 p.m. tonight. The show runs until Jan 23.