Hamilton Public Library supports local artists, artisans and organizations by providing free exhibition space.
Since experiencing a stroke in April 2018 that led to being legally blind, local historian Robin McKee has learned to see with his mind.
The images in this exhibit were taken by McKee since the stroke, and all on his camera phone. Using the 20% vision remaining in one eye, he can see blobs of colour, light and shadows, and small areas of detail. Context is helpful. Often a visual element of his surrounding will stand out, such as a section of a church in the shape of a ship bow. At other times he will shoot images “blindly”, knowing that there is visual information that he does not have access to in the moment. In Toronto for the Greek Festival in 2018, a police presence and general commotion suggested the presence of someone well known. McKee began taking pictures holding the camera above his head. It was only later when looking at the pictures on his phone of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, that he realized the resulting image of a Very Important Person had been taken by a Visually Impaired Photographer. This was the beginning of a photo series that reflects McKee’s new visual reality, practically and symbolically. He is drawn to graphic high contrast elements, light, eyes, visual puns, and layered subject matter. The subject matter that falls within his visual spectrum are sometimes mundane elements of our surroundings or strong light reflections, making the subject matter secondary to the visual quality. At other times the subject matter is primary as McKee seeks out eyes, the very things that have irreparably altered his relationship with the world. Light is both the subject matter and the means: photography is light.
AGE GROUP: | Adults (18+) |
EVENT TYPE: | Arts & Culture |
TAGS: | World Sight Day | Photography | Arts & Culture | Artist |
The first Hamilton Public Library building opened on September 16, 1890 by the Earl and Countess of Aberdeen on the north side of Main Street West. In 1913, a new main library opened. This building was replaced in 1980 by Central Library, at the current location on York Boulevard.
In 2010, Central Library re-opened after approximately 18 months of renovations. Central Library opened with a newly revitalized first floor, which includes a Community Living Room that takes advantage of natural light. The Ontario Library Association honoured Central in 2012 with an Architectural and Design Transformation award.