Rivalutionary
Bridging Light and Time
Rice Howard Way Alley of Light
next to Craft Beer Market building (10013 - 101A Ave.)
Artist Statement
Seeing things in a different way–this is as much a life philosophy as it is my spiritual, technical and creative approach. I appreciate the freedom to explore ideas and experiment with different cameras and digital art techniques. My sense of humour, wordplay and storytelling frequently appear in my work and I love being able to share what I see and create through my photography. In 2022 I took part in Capital City Art’s Isolation exhibit that presented art created during COVID 19. My project Bridging Light and Time turned out to be the start of an ongoing series! The current light box exhibit of the same name includes photos from the original event and new images. All images in both exhibits feature Edmonton bridges.
Photography is the relationship between light and time—the bridging of a variable gap that connects light and time to take a photo. This is true in daylight and also at night, when artificial light comes into play. In the daylight I am endlessly intrigued by the interplay of sunlight with the natural landscape and human-made structures. It is amazing to capture the golden light that shines on the Walterdale Bridge and reflects off nearby buildings, amidst colourful storm clouds just before sunset. It is an entirely different yet equally engaging experience to capture a bubblegum-pink, fireball sun appearing to rest on top of the Walterdale Bridge against a smoky, grey sky. At night the bridges in Edmonton become my photographic playground where I create unique images that allow light to appear both stationary and in motion. The lighting not only contributes to the composition of each image but also forms their narratives.
about the artist
Riva is Rivalutionary—always seeing things in a different way. Based in amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton, AB), on Treaty 6 Territory, Rivalutionary is a multimedia artist, a photographer, painter, writer and spoken word poet.
Rivalutionary’s works have been featured in art shows and galleries across Edmonton. Several pieces are currently on display at various Edmonton businesses. One of Rivalutionary’s most popular (and favourite!) pieces, Rising Up - Where to From Here? was purchased by the City of Edmonton in 2019 for a Timeraiser event. Rivalutionary’s photos highlighting Edmonton’s Walterdale and High Level bridges at night appear in two online editions and a print edition of PhotoEd magazine (LIGHT issue, March and June 2024). In addition to Rivalutionary’s Bridging Light and Time exhibit at the Rice Howard Way Alley of Light produced by The Works International Visual Arts Society, a second Rivalutionary solo exhibit will take place in the fall of 2024, at Gallerie CAVA in Edmonton, Alberta.
