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Woody Allen had a hit with Zelig, his chamelon who adopts the morphology of people around him in a desire to be accepted. Generations have lost hours, days or even years looking for Wally or Waldo hidden in an illustration of a group of people doing a variety of amusing things at a given location. And it is in line with these two works, though very different, that Rip Hopkins gives us Canada Canada.
A portrait of Canada and Canadians.
Photographic exploration or cinematic fantasy, Rip Hopkins delves into Canada's history and identity for it's 150th anniversary in 2017. From a policeman to a priest, a first nation hunter to an old age pensioner, a tattooed babe to even the inevitable rock star prime minister, these 150 pictures all have one thing in common : the portraitist is hiding in the picture. Rip has Canada Canada's leading role.
Sometimes he makes himself discreet, almost invisible, when he plays the receptionist with the mayor of Ottawa in his office. Or when, in his immaculate valet's uniform, he melts into the white marble wall of the French Embassador to Canada's office. Sometimes, on the contrary, Rip is the centre of attention riding a Harley-Davidson or in a wolf skin that lived on Ottawa's Victoria Island. And as always, Rip takes the picture with a remote control hidden in his hand.
