© 2013 Denis Bouvier | denisbouvier.com
Just as we post messages and photos on Facebook, Canadian street photographer Kaid Ashton posts samples of his photos on newspaper and grey Canada Post boxes. This signed photo of South Asian fishermen (pictured left) is on a Georgia Straight box on Thurlow St. between Davie St. and Pendrell St., but you can find more throughout the West End and Downtown. It was conducive to discovering more about the artist, so the “Faceboxing” was successful.
Ashton is fascinated by unexplored urban settings, and a main focus of his work is to travel to some of the world’s poorest and most troubled areas and, through his photographs, shed light on people in poverty. In these places, unlike his small photos on the boxes in Vancouver, he wheatpastes (pastes using a gel or liquid adhesive made from wheat flour or starch and water) large scale reproductions of his photos in public locations that lend themselves to forming a good frame for his subject matter.
His photography is far from being exploitive. For one thing, his art is publicly accessible and educative. He has also started the “Home School Project,” a charity that teaches art classes to children in Manila’s slums and then feeds them nutritious meals after each session. The Manila Office of Culture and Design, which lobbies for funding to support art ventures, runs the project in his absence. Classes have also begun in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
From the slums of Manila, to the streets of Hong Kong, to Tahir Square, Aston’s photos depict a colourful, diverse world, whether capturing a setting in nature, an amazing building or depicting people in poverty. There is a natural exuberant beauty to many of his pictures and an innate hope and resourcefulness seem to emanate from the people he photographs.
Kaid Ashton x Kaput: It’s a Wacky World is a current collaborative effort between Ashton and graffiti artist Kaput featuring 11 pieces. The exhibit is at the Catalogue Gallery on the 2nd floor of Vancouver’s International Village until January 1, 2014. For more information on Ashton visit: http://www.kaidashton.com
Don Richardson
