Public tours of a new camera obscura artwork by Donald Lawrence on the canopy of the Paramount Theatre are now available throughout the summer.

A key focus of Kamloops based artist Donald Lawrence’s practice has been the merging of art, technology and science. Through pinhole camera and camera obscura projects, Lawrence’s work draws upon early optical and image-making devices, and centres on conventions of illusion that emerged through the use of these technologies in 19th century European culture (though their origins lay in previous times and in other cultures).

Lawrence’s cameras obscura have emerged as site-specific projects that revisit early photographic technology through experiences outside the gallery context. As part of his Kamloops Art Gallery exhibition Casting the Eye Adrift (on until December 31, 2020), Lawrence has created a new camera obscura tent structure that is installed on the canopy of the Paramount Theatre, called the Paramount Camera Obscura. This project is a partnership with the Kamloops Film Society. Reflecting Lawrence’s interest in the connection between urban and “wilderness” cultures, and our romantic relationship to nature, the structure looks like a rustic camping shelter.

The phrase, camera obscura, is Latin for “darkened chamber” or “dark room.” The camera obscura is a device that admits light through a small opening (often fitted with a glass lens) into a box or darkened space to project an upside down image of the outside world onto a surface inside the box or space.

With this work, visitors are invited to enter the tent structure and sit on vintage theatre seats to experience a new view of the intersection at Victoria and 5th Avenue as an upside down projected image.

Guided Tours for 2 people at a time (or family groups of 3) offered through September.

Please bring a mask
Social distancing and sanitizing protocols will be in place

Safety protocols and accessibility information is available HERE.

Luminocity returns this fall for its fourth biennial iteration. A week-long video art exhibition, Luminocity showcases video projects by local, national and international artists in public spaces throughout the downtown core of Kamloops. As an off-site Kamloops Art Gallery initiative, Luminocity embraces new creative concepts and modes of expression in the media arts field and brings recent video projects previously shown primarily in gallery settings to the outdoors.

Inspired by popular public art exhibitions such as Nuit Blanche that take over major cities throughout Canada, previous Luminocity exhibitions have transformed Kamloops’ urban environment with projections on the facades of buildings and from storefront windows, along with site specific installations at Riverside Park.

Luminocity is a free, public exhibition happening after dark. Please set aside an evening or two to visit downtown Kamloops and take in all that this outdoor exhibition offers. A location and artist map will be available soon.