Kenton Doupe has been a part of the local art scene since he was a teenager, and today, his photography is one of the two shows currently on display at the Godfrey Dean Art Gallery as part of the Saskatchewan Prairie Light Photography Festival.
The work is all black and white images, and Doupe says that his goal with the pieces was to meet new people and explore the possibilities with photography. He notes that his approach is highly experimental, focused on finding new and different ways to make a person look different and unique.
The process is highly experimental, and Doupe admits that only 20 per cent of his ideas actually wind up being successful in the long run.
He says that he has pages of notes with ideas he would like to try, and that he finds inspiration can strike at any time, and any place.
"Most of the time, I'm walking through the store, I'm walking through school, I'm waking through my house and I see something, and I think 'how can I use that to make a cool looking picture with a face?'
A prime example is a picture which has a bunch of little faces... When I was really little my mom had a crystal egg, and when I looked through it, it would amplify everything like a big fly eye. Later in life, I picked it up, and realized it would work perfectly," he explains.
Part of the process is also working with the models as well, rolling with their decisions and their experience. He admits that he's "clueless" with how to work with models, so he trusts their decisions and works the shot around what they're doing, finding lighting to best capture their personality and make them look a bit unconventional.
"I'm just trying to take pictures of people and make it look as cool as I can."
Doupe says that the Godfrey Dean Art Gallery has been essential to his development as an artist, and he thanks Don Stein, executive director of the gallery for the support over the years, as well as the support of the community overall. He says that he's much more comfortable showing in Yorkton than he is anywhere else, because he knows the crowd and can invite friends and family to enjoy the show much more easily.
Kenton Doupe's portraits will be on display at the Godfrey Dean Art Gallery until February 15.
