Photographer: Gun Roze
I have resided on Dundas St West since the start of 2016. I quickly discovered the myriad of back alleys as quieter options for my daily errand walks. Any quiet and solitude I can enjoy living in a major city is extremely valuable for my peace of mind. I began to discover and appreciate the variety of visually delightful finds. Though I have taken these routes repeatedly for over 6 years, I am always presented with new oddities and ever changing details. I regard these back alley offerings as a personal street art experience.
Gun Roze is a Toronto born Fine Art Photographer. His fascination with photography began with his first gifted camera at the age of 8. Though he studied photography related courses, his most valuable knowledge was gained as a Master Analog Darkroom Printer for professional photographers during his devoted 35 year career. The demands for his expertise as a personal colour printer opened up work opportunities in Vancouver, San Francisco and New York City. Throughout this period Gun continued with his own photography and creative projects.
For his personal work, 2012 was a defining year for him. While living and working in NYC, he rediscovered 28 rolls of 35mm colour negatives in his archives. The film was shot mainly on the streets of Manhattan in 1982. This series showcases his first exploration into street photography and is titled “MANHATTAN 1982”. In 2013, three of the images were included in a prestigious NYC gallery group show focused on NYC life in the 80s. Two years later, 21 of these images were exhibited for his premiere solo show in Toronto at Akasha Art Projects.
The enthusiasm surrounding this discovery inspired Gun to return to street photography in NYC, though from a resident’s perspective. His daily practice is reliant on the easy access of his ever present point-and-shoot compact digital camera. With this dedicated method he has gained a solid following and reputation for his unique captures. Since returning to Toronto in 2015, Gun has continued with his daily approach to street-based photography and its detailed representation of his hometown’s various neighborhoods. To view a body of Gun’s work, please visit his website- www.shot-by-gun.com
Gun has recently self-published a quality hardcover photo book titled MANHATTAN 1982. A signed copy for $100 CDN (+shipping) can be ordered by directly emailing him gunroze@gmail.com