RIDE ALONG PHOTO EXHIBIT launched today.

Today I launched my photography exhibit titled The Ride Along at the city hall in Edmonton AB. The exhibit itself is 48 feet long, 7 feet high and features twenty nine 16x24 canvas prints.

(making sure the Vynel is straight... I only had one shot, because I only made one print...)

The exhibit features images I photographed of Edmonton Fire Fighters during the past 4 years.

 (final presentation)

The artist statement is below if you care to read it. You can see the exhibit online if you click on "photography exhibition" on my nav link at http://www.curtiscomeau.com/... or you can check it out in print form if you are in Edmonton from Oct 4-11th 2010.  

 (laying out the exhibit)

Artist Statement

The Ride Along - Curtis Comeau

As a kid, I wanted to be a firefighter.  The trucks, the hoses, the danger. It was all very appealing at the age of 5.  Today as an adult and as a professional photographer, I got to realize the dream of many little boys by photographically exploring a day in the life of an Edmonton firefighter.  In realizing this school kid dream, I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that my one day turned into four years.

I am pleased to present before you a collection of photographs taken on dozens of ride alongs with Edmonton Fire Rescue Services from 2006 to 2010.

I had originally planned to photograph firefighters for a week, then display the images at a small local venue.  After my first couple of ride alongs, I knew that I could never fully tell the story of these brave individuals in only seven days.

So my day in the life became a journey.  Over the past four years, I joined our firefighters on dozens of calls.  Over that time, there were several opportunities where I could have opened this exhibit and called the project complete.  Maybe it was boyhood wonder, but it never felt like I had yet captured the full story.  So my ride alongs continued.  It was finally in winter of 2010, after photographing a significant and big fire, that I realized I could photograph fire fighters forever.   I had their story.  I was just continuing to live mine.  At that moment, I decided it was time to release the collection of photographs and share their lives with others.

The men and women I photographed were gracious in welcoming me into their risky professional lives.  But I was always cautious to observe strictly as an outsider.  There were many times when the commercial photographer in me was tempted to influence or light a scene to make it more visually appealing.  Thankfully, I remained focused on the fact this was not a technical display of photography, but rather an exploration of a subject through the discipline of photography.

An exhibit of this size is not possible without the support of many individuals.

The entire Edmonton Fire Rescue Services staff for letting me into their world and allowing me to openly and honestly photograph them.  My friends and family for supporting my photography and helping me edit the countless images I amassed.  Klyment Tan for lending his printing skills and technical knowledge. Eldon Kymson for designing the exhibit.  Jennifer Fisk for ensuring my words and writing make sense. The Fire Chief Ken Block and his management for allowing me to choose and display the photographs I wanted to show, and partnering with me on this.  Tim Wilson, whom I consider partner in this, as without his support this exhibit would have never have come to life. 

And finally, I thank you for taking the time out of your busy, relatively safe and risk-free life to visit this exhibit and join me in my exploration into the lives of our city's firefighters.

Best,

Curtis Comeau

www.curtiscomeau.com