![Three girls stand side by side wearing pink dresses with fluffy white boleros. They are wearing sashes and crowns. None of the girls are smiling. The Arts New West logo is featured. Text reads: Artist Profile, JJ Lee.](https://artsnewwest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/1-1024x1024.png)
“In truth, I am uncomfortable putting too fine a point on these images. They have to speak for themselves on some level. Each carry their own surprising meaning however problematic.”
For over a decade, JJ Lee has taken ad hoc portraits of participants preparing to march in New Westminster’s Hyack Day Parade.
The images attempt to delve into identity, photographic vision, ethnography, and evolving communities. There is attention paid to dress and how performance manifests
in social rituals. The individuals portrayed here are “on” in a way rarely seen when they parade.
![A girl in a bright blue dress sits on the edge of a green and yellow parade float. She is wearing a crown and a sash that reads "Miss Penticton". She is holding a half eaten bagel in one hand and a cell phone in the other.](https://artsnewwest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/JJ-Lee-UNTITLED-8-4x5-FEET-colour-negative-or-giclee-print.jpg)
![A young woman with blonde hair is standing in the street. She is wearing a pink dress, pink sunglasses and a pink sash. She also wears a crown and matching jewelry. She is not looking at the camera.](https://artsnewwest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/JJ-Lee-UNTITLED-1-4x5-FEET-colour-negative-or-giclee-print.jpg)
“I grabbed what film camera I felt good about at the time and headed out to the marshalling area just around the corner from where I lived. I’d catch folks in full regalia but totally relaxed and waiting. So I asked to take their picture. And unlike when they’re on parade, I asked them to dial it down and just relax in front of the camera. And this is what I got.”
![A black and white image of a girl wearing a uniform. Her hair is pulled up under a hat and she is wearing glasses. She does not smile at the camera.](https://artsnewwest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/JJ-Lee-UNTITLED-2-4x4-FEET-bw-negative-or-giclee-print.jpg)
![Two older men stand side by side. They are wearing the same uniform with hats, white shirts, black bowties, and vests. They both give small smiles to the camera.](https://artsnewwest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/JJ-Lee-UNTITLED-7-4x4-FEET-bw-negative-or-giclee-print.jpg)
The Gallery at Queen’s Park presents:
“PARADE” ~ JJ Lee
Exhibition Dates: April 10 – May 5, 2024
Gallery Hours: Wednesday – Sunday, 10:00am – 2:00pm
To learn more about JJ Lee, visit his website.