Clara Gutsche

Since 1970 I have worked as a photographer, educator, and critic. I use the view camera to explore either personal relationships or the cultural values of Quebec. Whether I photograph people or uninhabited spaces, I attempt to map the inner landscape of emotions as well as describe specific places. Sometimes I use the paradox of human absence to suggest its presence; or I photograph individuals in relation to a culturally charged context; or I frame an interior as a rectilinear stage set against which I pose figures in an arrested choreography; and sometimes I make classical portraits.

My photographs are found in the collections of many public museums, including The Canadian Centre for Architecture, The National Gallery of Canada, The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Le Musée de la Photographie a Charleroi, Le Musée d’Art de Joliette, The Center for Creative Photography, the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, and the National Archives of Canada.   I am grateful for support provided by The Canada Council for the Arts, Le Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, and The Concordia University Part-time Faculty Professional Development Fund.

www.claragutsche.com