Summer Day in Guelph

by Grace Wang

It was one of those perfect summer days. A beautiful home-cooked meal on the patio overlooking the river with produce freshly picked that morning. The next day, in the sunshine, we walked down the stairs from the backyard into the river, and just played. J dangled from a rope, P looked for sticks. I tilted my face up to the sun and curled my toes around the cool, smooth rocks—my nerves unfurling at last.

This series was shot on an overnight visit at my friend Justine’s home in 2022, on one roll of 120mm film (with twelve shots) and an old Yashica TLR, with no light meter and barely any buttons. I lost the roll for a while after, then found it at the bottom of my fridge in the midst of winter, like an artifact from an archaeological dig. Smoothing my fingers across the cool metal of the film canister, the fresh morning coffee mixed with the warm air and dry grass wafted right back, and I can almost feel the gleam of that perfect summer day again. 

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ABOUT THE CREATOR

Grace Wang, a self-taught visual artist, photographer, writer, and filmmaker, explores analog processes in her work, delving into themes of nature, time and memory. Her award-winning short films have screened globally, including at the 2023 Shorts On Tap in London and the 2023 Wales International Film Festival. A member of Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography, Grace’s photo exhibitions include “Half Dark,” “Memory Foam,” and “Trace.” She curates visual and media arts, having programmed films for festivals and curated gallery exhibitions. Grace is an alumnus of programs including the 2018 Reykjavik International Film Festival Talent Lab and 2022 Cinefam Limitless Program. and has received support from organizations like the National Film Board of Canada and the Canada Council for the Arts. She is currently working on a new body of visual art projects.

connect with Grace at @etheriel on Instagram and gracewang.format.com

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