May 14 to June 20, 2025
Artist's Reception, Saturday, May 16, 3PM to 5:30PM

Link to images from the exhibition

Platform Gallery is pleased to present a second solo show by Jesse Burke. The majority of the work in the exhibition, titled Low, is a collection of portraits of men who are ordinarily overlooked or ignored. In the Lowertown district of Ottawa, Burke sought out individuals who are often considered down and out. In return for compensation, each man agreed to remove their garments and step into a glowing light to be photographed. Reminiscent of Carvaggio's figures emerging from the darkness, some look out at our gaze, many look away. We see sunken chests, stooped shoulders, scars and tattoos. But we also see a dignity in these men's eyes, especially those who return their gaze. "I wanted to show their vulnerability, but at the same time their beauty so I didn't pose them; I let them pose themselves. Their body language really speaks for each of them. The way they hold themselves indicates how protective they are of their bodies," Burke has said. The direct opposite of advertising's perfect male physique, these men's spirits glow and they reveal their humanity, challenging us to consider our own.

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