It’s coming up on the final week of the Jorian Charlton exhibit Out of Many at the AGO. We want to make sure you don’t miss the Toronto-based photographer’s powerful, evocative, and nostalgic collection of work. 

The backstory of Out of Many, as shared by the AGO:

In 2017, Charlton received a collection of 35mm slides from her father for safe-keeping: his photographs from Jamaica, New York and Toronto from the late 1970s to the late ‘80s. The images reveal Charlton’s family lineage, and they inspired this exhibition. Charlton’s own portraits are paired with her father’s slides, creating a visual dialogue across generations.

Charlton explores the fluidity of the immigration story in her work, considers new ways of thinking about Jamaican-Canadian culture, and reimagines the family album through a contemporary lens. In concert with her father’s photographic narrative, these works constitute a tangible archive of what was, what is, and what will become––one, out of many.

Jorian Charlton, ‘Georgia’, 2020. Installation view at 460 King St W, 2022. Photo courtesy of the artist and CONTACT. Photo by Toni Hafkenscheid.

We recently featured Charlton’s exhibit that was part of the 2022 Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, and interviewed her this past winter about her massive and magnificent installation in Toronto’s financial district, which was selected as part of ArtworxTO’s Year of Public Art. We loved what the Sheridan grad had to say about her creative choices and the impact of having such an enormous piece of work displayed where thousands can see it, both intentionally and unexpectedly. 

Out of Many was originally scheduled to open at Gallery TPW in February 2021 and was delayed due to prolonged COVID-19 closures, so this exhibition has become an online project (www.out-of-many.ca). While the virtual experience is still active, the presentation at the AGO marks the first time these works are on view in person for visitors to enjoy.

Find Out of Many by Jorian Charlton, on the first floor in gallery 128, on display until August 7, 2022. A reminder that admission is always FREE for AGO Members, AGO Annual Pass Holders & Visitors 25 and under. You should go.