10×10 PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT 2019

I’m proud and excited to be included in the prestigious 10×10 Photography Project hosted by James Fowler ! This project is a 2 part privilege: 10 photographers shoot portraits of 10 models, this totals 100 portraits all which are printed in a beautiful 10″ x 10″ coffee table book, and then also framed and exhibited at the famous Gladstone Hotel in the Queen West community ! For this special project I’ve been asked to represent the LatinX, LGBTQ & Artists communities, all of which I am also proudly a part of. As an overall common thread throughout this series, I’ve chosen to tie them all in with the theme of raising awareness against “Gun Violence”.

My reason for choosing this contentious subject matter is because on January 13, 2007, my nephew Patrick was shot down in the prime of his life at the ripe age of 23! This was a very traumatizing and difficult chapter in my family’s life and we all still suffer from this horrific nightmare. The one that still bears the deepest scars is my sister Jolie, Patrick’s mother. Her courage is most remarkable and inspiring, but now and then we see the pain peeking through her tough exterior armour. Ever since that fateful day, I’m always trying to do as much as I can even in simple ways to honour his memory and out of respect for my sister Jolie. So far, I’ve ridden to Montreal 3 times on bicycle and helped raise thousands of dollars in charity for the PWA Foundation in his name, though that didn’t help this particular cause, this time I’m proud to be sending out a direct message to people about gun violence !

When I was asked by James Fowler to participate in this project and he told me the details, I was most thrilled to accept his gracious offer and thus this 10×10 portrait series is dedicated to Patrick’s memory as well and to help bring awareness to the ever growing crisis of gun violence not only in Toronto, but everywhere on a global level ! As we see on the news, and read in the papers, the shootings, massacres, and over all violence are constantly growing at an alarming rate! People do get angry and outraged, but regrettably within a few days the shootings and massacres are forgotten, until the next one occurs again somewhere in the news, so everyone tends to get desensitized…. From the NRA, to our schools, to the media, to everyday life, the best weapons we have to fight the bloodshed and carnage is education, awareness and to speak up when the opportunity arises. This may seem insignificant to some but remember that the smallest acts on a global level will always have great reverberating effects ! So this is my aim with this project and hope to open people’s eyes, minds, hearts and start up more dialogue between people, groups and leaders in all our communities ! The question we should all ask ourselves is: how many must perish before we speak up and take action !?

Respectfully,
Angel Torres, Photographer ?

2019 Photographers: Vero Diaz, Katherine Fogler, Janet Kimber, McKenzie James, Public Studio, Veronique Soucy, Tyler Talbot, Angel Torres, Brian Wilson and Will Wilson. 

Mark Your Calendars:
Book launch and Reception
THURSDAY, JUNE 20 — AUGUST 12, 2019, 7 PM
@ GLADSTONE HOTEL, Toronto

Dedicated to the memory of Patrick Barrera Jr. 1983 – 2007