CCCA Canadian Art Database

Gabor Szilasi

Gabor Szilasi is a Canadian artist known for the humanist vision of his social-documentary photography. Largely self-taught, Gabor Szilasi started to photograph in Hungary in 1952 when he purchased his first camera, a Zorkij. In 1956, he documented the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 in Budapest and shortly afterwards fled the country. From 1959 to 1971, he was photographer at the Office du film du Québec. That role involved traveling to photograph subjects throughout rural Quebec. Sam Tata introduced him to the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson and encouraged his social-documentary photography. In 1966, he was introduced to the work of the American documentary tradition as practiced by Paul Strand and Walker Evans while studying at the Thomas More Institute. Throughout the 1960s, he shot personal photographs of friends and of Montreal; they were first exhibited in 1967. He was photography teacher at the Collège du Vieux Montreal (1970–1980) and associate professor (1980–1995) and then adjunct professor at Concordia University. From 1972 to 1974, Szilasi was a member of a group of Montreal artists called the Group d’action photographique, and his documentary photographs feature numerous members of the city's art scene. The work he made of communities such as Charlevoix, PQ (1970), Montreal`s art community (1960–1980), or was commissioned to make in Italy, Hungary and Poland (1986, 1987, 1990) or of Hungary to which he returned in 1980, 1994 and 1995 aimed at the modernist photography ideal of precision, luminosity and permanence which increased the beauty and historic value of his prints. He used the camera to take views of urban environments, individual portraits or gallery openings. After 20 years of photographing in black-and-white, around the mid-70s, Szilasi began to use colour to describe certain cultural and social characteristics. He began photographing interiors, mostly living spaces, in colour and later combined colour with black-and-white to convey portraits and interiors. Around 1982, he began photographing electric signs.
Creator Id: 588
Virtual Collection: Original CCCA
Country of Birth: Hungary
Year of Birth: 1928
City: Montreal
Country: Canada
Type of Creator: Artist
Gender: Male
Mediums: photography
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Work by Gabor Szilasi

Csobanka

Work ID: 85503

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Paysans, Csobanka

Work ID: 85504

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Motocyclistes au Lac Balaton

Work ID: 85505

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Budapest, Winter

Work ID: 85506

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Crowd Observing Damaged Trams, Múzeum Körút, 8th District, Budapest

Work ID: 85509

Description: 15–25 November 1956; printed 2006


Measurements: Gelatin silver print

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Budapest, Dohany Street

Work ID: 85508

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Ste-Agathe

Work ID: 85512

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Sam Tata at His House, Montreal

Work ID: 85513

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Frozen Wolves, Assomption

Work ID: 85514

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Cuisine chez Léon Lajoie, Île-aux-Coudres

Work ID: 85519

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M. Pascal Bouchard, Île aux Coudres

Work ID: 85522

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Mlle. Huguette Harvey, Île-aux-Coudres

Work ID: 85521

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Adélard Rochfort, St. Joseph-de-la-Rive

Work ID: 85518

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Famille Lessard, Saint Joseph-de-Beauce

Work ID: 85532

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Gulf sign, English spoken, comté de Beauce

Work ID: 85533

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Andrea and Doreen walking on beach, Lake Michigan

Work ID: 85537

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Cat Looking at Andrea, Montreal

Work ID: 85540

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Andrea one eye, Montreal

Work ID: 85538

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Andrea Utility Garments, Montreal

Work ID: 85539

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Moose Club, Val d’Or

Work ID: 85543

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Noranda Houses

Work ID: 85546

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Noranda Houses

Work ID: 85545

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Palace, St. Catherine West, Montreal

Work ID: 85541

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Dunn’s, rue St. Catherine Ouest

Work ID: 85552

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Louis-Philippe Yergeau, Rollet, Temiscamingue

Work ID: 85550

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Albanel, Lac St-Jean

Work ID: 85551

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André and Marie-Rose Houde’s Bedroom, Lotbinière

Work ID: 85554

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Sam the Record Man, rue St. Catherine Ouest

Work ID: 85553

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Malartic garage

Work ID: 85544

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St. Catherine West, Montreal

Work ID: 85542

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de Gaulle, Montréal

Work ID: 85620

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Supersexe, rue St. Catherine Ouest

Work ID: 85561

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Musique Archambeault, 500 St. Catherine Street East, Montreal

Work ID: 85558

Description: Printed 1997.


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coiffeurs Hollywood, Montréal

Work ID: 85622

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Raymond Pharand in His Loft, Montreal

Work ID: 85563

Description: Left image printed 1997, right image printed 2002.


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Au bon marché, rue St. Catherine Ouest

Work ID: 85560

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Taverne du Coin, Rouyn Noranda, Abitibi

Work ID: 85547

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Ilona Wertheimer, Budapest

Work ID: 85567

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István Parkài, Budapest

Work ID: 85568

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CDM Meubles, rue Papineau, Montréal

Work ID: 85573

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Maison bagel, rue Fairmount, Montréal

Work ID: 85569

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La Maison du Costume, Rue Ontario Est, Montréal

Work ID: 85570

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Taverne Mont-Royal, Montréal

Work ID: 85571

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Brasserie, rue Mont-Royal, Montréal

Work ID: 85576

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Club Soda, av. du Parc, Montréal

Work ID: 85574

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Doreen & Gabor, Prince Edward Island

Work ID: 85577

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Italie, Firenze

Work ID: 85578

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Italie, Greve in Chianti

Work ID: 85579

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Adél Mezei, Budapest

Work ID: 85581

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Italie, Bomarzo

Work ID: 85586

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Italie, Lago di Como

Work ID: 85582

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Italie, Romano Ramuzzi, Greve in Chianti

Work ID: 85585

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Italie, Greve in Chianti

Work ID: 85580

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Italie, Roberto Masini, Greve in Chianti

Work ID: 85584

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Italie, Bomarzo

Work ID: 85587

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Italie, Boucherie Ceccatelli, Greve in Chianti

Work ID: 85588

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Italie, Terme di Saturnia

Work ID: 85583

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Famille François Ruph

Work ID: 85589

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Poland, Cracow

Work ID: 85592

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Poland, Cracow

Work ID: 85590

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Poland, Poznań

Work ID: 85591

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Fremont, CA

Work ID: 85593

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Carhenge, Alliance, Nebraska

Work ID: 85594

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Orange Julep, rue Sherbrooke Est, Montréal

Work ID: 85595

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Décorations de Noël, rue Denonville, Montréal

Work ID: 85572

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C. Cloutier, Les Impatients

Work ID: 85597

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Jean-Gilles Desjardins, Les Impatients

Work ID: 85600

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F. Lavigne, Les Impatients

Work ID: 85598

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José Bernard, Les Impatients

Work ID: 85601

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Sylvie Charest, Les Impatients

Work ID: 85604

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J.-C. Dubois couverture, Les Impatients

Work ID: 85599

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Romain Peuvion, Les Impatients

Work ID: 85602

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Suzanne, Les Impatients

Work ID: 85603

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Paula Bernatchez, Marsoui

Work ID: 85606

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Postal worker Dominique Gasse, Marsoui

Work ID: 85608

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Gervais Paquet et sa mère, Marsoui

Work ID: 85607

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Employee meeting at Bois Marsoui GDS sawmill, Marsoui

Work ID: 85605

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Maria Jankovics, Montreal

Work ID: 85612

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M.Nitoslawska, Cinémathèque

Work ID: 85614

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Robert Morin, Cinémathèque

Work ID: 85618

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J.-C. Labrecque, Cinémathèque

Work ID: 85615

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Michel Brault, Cinémathèque

Work ID: 85619

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Pierre Mignot, Cinémathèque

Work ID: 85617

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André Turpin, Cinémathèque

Work ID: 85613

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Monique Champagne, Cinémathèque

Work ID: 85616

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