The impact of feminism and self-discovery is clear in Political Poetics, a 40-year retrospective of Lake's work. Heavily influenced by second-wave feminism, Lake's photography is the perfect combination of technique and powerful storytelling. Viewers will experience "Choreographed Puppets" in a new way. The original piece features Lake hanging from black ropes with two men as puppeteers in which, through low exposure to the camera, Lake appears to disappear in the photo. An enlarged photo from the series gives the viewer an up-close experience. "We want people to feel like they are stepping into the work," says Ingrid Jenkner, curator at the Mount Saint Vincent University Art Gallery. "You can see the photo paper and the crudeness of the structure. There's honesty in the work." The mix of older and recent pieces gives a good perspective on the changes in feminist art. In "Reduced Performing: Blinking," a life-size portrait of Lake appears floating on the paper. Be prepared for Lake's gaze on you.
To October 7, Mount Saint Vincent University Art Gallery, 166 Bedford Highway, 457-6160
