Video: Karen Asher, Artist Talk

Karen Asher, Artist Talk, 2019

On June 14, 2019 Plug In ICA presented an artist talk by Karen Asher in conjunction with her solo exhibition Class. Asher’s body of work engages the figure in location, the body in movement, the mundane in tension with the surreal, captured in moments of joy, melancholy and resilience. Her images offer a set of circumstances that enliven the vulnerability felt in the every day. For Class, the poignancy of life is imaged and imagined through her subjects on screen and in portrait, highlighting the empowering effect of improv, performance and pleasure. In this new work, Asher uses the camera to condition spaces of agency, visibility and confidence, allowing an openness at the heart of what is seen and felt. Astute and playful, Asher’s approach to composition is instigated by the care, rigour and sensitivity inherent in her process. The camera lens in Asher’s hands has the possibility of offering respite from hardship and struggle.

Karen Asher received her BFA in photography from University of Manitoba. In 2010, she had her first solo show at Platform Centre. Since then, her work has been exhibited in CONTACT Photography Festival, Gimili Film Festival, the Pingyao International Photography Festival in Beijing, Truck Contemporary Art, Lantern Gallery, Lisa Kehlher + Projects, Flash Forward, and most recently her solo exhibition, The Full Catastrophe, at aceartinc. Her work has appeared in various publications including Front Line, The National Post, Canadian Art, Border Crossings, and BlackFlash.