Laurier’s Robert Langen Art Gallery showcases documentary photography in ‘A View from Here’

Oct. 14, 2022

Wilfrid Laurier University’s Robert Langen Art Gallery has unveiled A View from Here, its newest exhibition in the gallery’s LIFT series focusing on documentary photography.

LIFT is a community outreach program that highlights the creative talents of artists from Waterloo Region. A View from Here showcases documentary photography by Brian Douglas, Anthony Reinhart and Christy Winegarden, who share visual narratives chronicling the historical past, present-day surroundings and hopes for the future.

Works by the three artists will be on display on the fourth to sixth floors of the Laurier Library on the university’s Waterloo campus until May 31, 2023. An opening reception will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 19 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Robert Langen Art Gallery, with the artists in attendance on their designated floors to answer questions and discuss their work. Admission is free and all are welcome.

“Together, Douglas, Reinhart and Winegarden invite viewers on a thought-provoking journey to rethink our reality,” says Suzanne Luke, curator of the Robert Langen Art Gallery.

Originally from Newmarket, Douglas moved to Kitchener-Waterloo, where he continues to pursue his passion for raw and honest photography. Reinhart is a Waterloo-based photographer and former print journalist who strives to pull the monumental from the mundane. Winegarden is a member of the Art District Gallery of Waterloo. Her latest series, Forage, contemplates how humans might live in harmony with nature.

“A well-crafted story captures our attention and imagination,” says Luke. “It leaves us curious and hoping for more. The art of documentary photography does just that — it’s a visual story that unfolds to reveal a historical or everyday narrative to be shared and circulated before it is lost forever.”

About the Robert Langen Art Gallery: The Robert Langen Art Gallery is Wilfrid Laurier University’s Waterloo campus visual arts centre. Exhibition programs and activities are connected to the university’s curriculum to foster creative thinking, exploration of ideas and community. For more information about the gallery and its programs, please contact Luke at sluke@wlu.ca or 519-884-0710, ext. 3801.