Exhibition No. 1

A lifetime of making photographs has taken David Hill through many roles from passionate amateur to a camera for hire, in the past creating images under the red safelight to currently manipulating digital data to paper.

Inspiration for The Manhole Series came from viewing a show of work by Barbara Spohr at Calgary’s Glenbow Museum. Spohr presented photos in which she included her feet while looking down at the ground, referring to them as self portraits. The notion led Hill to his own self portraits with manhole and sewer covers. Intrigued by the graphic elements on the sidewalks and streets, as well as the fascination with self portraits, this has progressed to be a study, a personal journey through the streets.

It is truly hard to believe that Hill has been making photographs for 61 years. With the guidance of his mother, who worked in the photo business in Hamilton as a young woman, the seeds were planted.