i Sarateo Jamos CUBA: COCKFIGHT (4980). The Saralee James exhibit is in. the Presentation House Gallery until » July 19. televant realities Saralee James surveys the human spirit; Bryan Melvin’s iconography of the night - Saralee james, revolutions and revelations. Presentation House Gallery, 333 Chesterfield Ave., N.V., June 12-July 19. Bcyan Melvin, Neon Magic. Gateway Gallery, 6500 Gilbert Rd., Richmond, June 9-July 7. rc) y NOW it should come as no surprise that one of ‘the most respected art galleries in Greater Van- couver is located here on the North Shore. By restricting the focus of its ex- hibition program to the art of phetography and capitalizing on international: sources, Presentation House has acquired a reputation among art critics and gallery-goers alike for providing a venue that is consistently intelligent, engaging and critically praiseworthy. The current exhibit at Pres- entation House is no exception. Saralee james, revolutions and revelations, which runs until July 19 at Presentation House Gallery, is a retrospective exhibition that commemorates the art and life of a Vancouver artist for whom life and art were inextricably linked. On display is a comprehensive body of work that surveys her ac- complishments in the fields of photography, film and video. These works are eloquent testi- mony to the artist's unsnakable compulsion to reach into dark se- questered regions of society in a bid to come to terms with the human spirit. The real subject of Saralee James’ work is the human condition and the dignity of the common man. It is an obsession that led the artist on the numerous and sometimes dangerous excur- sions of which this exhibit pro- vides ample eviderice. The importance of this show fies Ron Falcioni ART REVIEW not so much in the mere ex- cellence of the photography, which was the artist’s real medi- um, as in the sheer honesty and integrity of the documentation. There is, in fact, nothing par- ticularly innovative here. Indeed, any pretence.to technical ‘‘ar- tiness’’ would have undermined the force of her inquiries. it is with a kind of innocent in- “quisitiveness that we follow the ar- + tist into the cockfight pits of Cuba and transvestite clubs of Van- couver in the early ‘80s. It is with a concerned and sym- pathetic heart that we are permit- ted to encounter the inhabitants of a Guatemalan refugee camp or the natives of Pelle Bay i in the North- west Territories. Always it was James’ acute sense of social consciousness and re- sponsibility that dictated her perspectives ard defined her quests. The video Solomon, praduced in New York just before her death in 1991 — and unfortunately the only work in the video program of more than marginal interest or tru- From page 38 B.C. Boys Choir to perform THE INTERNATIONALLY cele- brated B.C. Boys Choir will per- form two concerts in West Van- couver this weekend. The four-part choir, made up of boys and young men aged eight to 24, will sing at St. David’s United Church on Friday at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday, they present their season-end perfor- mance at West Vancouver Unit- ed Church at 4 p.m. led by West Vancouver co- director Donald Forbes and Gerald van Wyck, the 24-year- old choir’s repertoire includes sacred and secular music ranging from 15th Century polyphony and classical music to folk songs and specially commissioned new music. Tickets for the concert go on sale at the door one hour prior to curtain time. For reservations, phone 926-5230. This coupon is good for one free kid’s meal from the Boston Pizza Kids’ Menu, with any additional purchase of a regular = adult meal. Qo =e oO ® SD) Coupon expires Aug. 15/92