STEPHEN CRUISE
SHARE THE MOMENT

Exhibition

Koffler Gallery at Sheppard Plaza, 2011
Photo documentation by Isaac Applebaum

Toronto artist Stephen Cruise created a new multi-media installation bringing new life to the former Kodak Fotomat – the drive-through photo-processing booth that served the neighbourhood back in the 1970s and was the first one of its kind in Canada. Share the Moment elicits the memories of North York residents to reconstruct a fragment of local history, staging a site of public exchange and collective recollection.

Exploring the nostalgic era when popular access to film-based photography and car-centric convenience were novel, Cruise revived the Fotomat with snapshots collected from the surrounding community. The image sequence offers a glimpse of the times when the kiosk was active. With its exterior refurbished to mimic the appearance of a tree, the structure evokes the natural landscape that once stood here. At the same time, the location acquires the symbolism of a tree of life that connects and preserves memories. Share the Moment highlights the central though imperfect role of photography in recording physical reality and examines the intricate relationship between time and remembrance.