Irwin Karnick: A Retrospective

There is a hidden gem in Canadian Society that has gone underground and unrecognized for far too long due to a life-threatening attack that occurred over a decade ago. That gem is Irwin Karnick. A world traveler, filmmaker and photographer of extraordinary talent who has been fighting climate change and other social issues throughout his entire career. The wellbeing of humanity has been a consistent theme ever present in his work and in his unique black and white photography for the past six decades. This man has captured the essence of what is needed in the world today.

The photographs tell a story of the dynamic forces of cultural imperatives that foretell the chaos and the conflict that we are currently experiencing. His work is a reflection of where we have been and where we need to go. A man before his time, he began photographing things that needed to be seen and said since his career began in the early 1960’s.

Over the past 60 years, Irwin Karnick has been commissioned by world leaders. He has worked with other photographic giants such as Phillipe Halsman. He has also photographed numerous Canadian icons including famous artists such as William Ronald, Mashel Teitlebaum and Mendelson Joe and political figures such as former Ontario Premier Bob Rae and Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. He is genuine, a true artist exemplifying vision and passion.

Karnick blazed a path as an original photographer who creatively and uniquely captured the true essence of a human being, the captivating beauty found in natural landscapes or a moment in time. His life perspective and work are about to go on display in Toronto at The Show Gallery, 978 Queen Street West, from March 13 – March 19. If you have any sense of the true value and meaning of photographic retrospectives, you will not want to miss this!