above: "Discretion"
Bill Pusztai’s images were the first I saw upon walking into Garner Narrative... The images, all depicting the photographer engaging in one of the seven deadly sins, are accompanied by a detailed artist’s statement. Pusztai comments on the universal humanity of these sins, and their more complex definitions, and also briefly touches on the guilt often associated with committing a carnal sin. I found it intriguing that neither the work nor the statement reflected any concrete opinions held by the artist. To me, they seemed more of an open-ended question, brought up by the photographer but left for the viewer to answer. Does greed make you feel guilty? Does gluttony make you blush? How does sinning make you feel when no one else is looking? I strolled away, not carrying Pusztai’s opinions with me, but rather my own.
—Sarah Duncan for LEO Weekly: Art: Inquisitive photos make up ‘Moral Matters'
—Sarah Duncan for LEO Weekly: Art: Inquisitive photos make up ‘Moral Matters'
Bill Pusztai [b. 1965] is a Canadian photographer now working from a studio in Vancouver, BC. Past solo shows with the gallery include Preaching to the Converted (2014), Attachments (2016), Unnatural Affections, (2018), and Downtown East Side (2020). Pusztai will exhibit in 2025 as part of the Louisville Photo Biennial.
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Most of my imagery is about understanding the visual world around me. I enjoy doing purely conceptual work - that is, work that originates with a concept and then seeks images to depict it; most of the work I show in galleries is conceptual - but the bulk of my work is a matter of communicating what I see to viewers.
When the subject is a person, that's portraiture. My goal is to express what I see or understand about the subject, which is why I rarely put people in front of elaborate backgrounds or give them a great many props.
With plants, I strive to catch the geometric or mathematical qualities of a plant, and possibly information about its botany; inherent in that is knowledge about how it grows, how it has interacted with humans, and what it means to us. But I'm OK with people seeing nothing more than "pretty"; to me that's sufficient.
When the subject is a person, that's portraiture. My goal is to express what I see or understand about the subject, which is why I rarely put people in front of elaborate backgrounds or give them a great many props.
With plants, I strive to catch the geometric or mathematical qualities of a plant, and possibly information about its botany; inherent in that is knowledge about how it grows, how it has interacted with humans, and what it means to us. But I'm OK with people seeing nothing more than "pretty"; to me that's sufficient.
above: "Leviathan," from Seven Deadly Sins (With Bananas, Book, Knife, and Earring)
above: "Attachments"