Flash Forward Pick- Numero 2

Carlo Van de Roer is one of my absolute favourite 2010 Flash Forward Award recipients. Robyn showed me his work a few weeks ago and I've fantasized about organizing an exhibition in Toronto with his work since then.
The reason I was so excited by these photographs stems from my past research in the 'ghost' photos from the Spiritualist movement at the turn of the century (see a few posts ago...). Van de Roer uses a 1970s Polaroid aura camera invented to record the aura of the subject- something normally only reserved for a psychic.

From Van de Roer's website: The subject is connected directly to the camera by hand-plates that measure biofeedback, which the camera depicts as an aura of color in the Polaroid and translates into a printed diagram and description explaining the camera's interpretation of the subject. It also explains separately, what the the subject is expressing and how they are seen by others, such as the photographer, suggesting the camera bypasses the control of the photographer and subject in making the portrait. This printout, which includes information about the subjects emotions, potential, aspirations, future, etc. is presented to the viewer along with each photograph in a similar manner to a caption.

Besides using such an awesome, new-age, hippie-like device, Van de Roer has chosen some truly stellar artists for subjects like Terence Koh, Tim Barber and Miranda July. Accompanying these images on his website is the mini-description yielded from the camera. Obviously this thing has a stockpile of analyses that it dishes out, but the Scorpio in me totally buys into it.

For Koh: 'People see Terence as willing to work, to gain wealth in terms of educational, cultural or physical attainments.'

For July: 'Everything which is thought and desired must become reality.'

For Barber: 'Creative, artistic... constructive self expression is important to (him).' People see Tim as: '...alive, outgoing, sexual and powerful...working hard...conquest.'

How great would it be to see these alongside some of its Spirit photo precedents? And, I happen to know Winnipeg has one of the best archives outside New York and Germany (how strange is that?)...