David Scriven

An Act of Kindness

It was a story told to me by my aunt.  A childhood memory. A summer adventure out of the city with no electricity and no plumbing.  Playing in a creek in her cousin’s too big boots.  Her brother stuck after climbing down a well. Going up the stairs to bed at night with candles.  It was made possible by an act of kindness in the family.  A distrust of banks. A belief in owning land that helped a boy raised in the country get out of the city. This simple act of kindness was repeated and passed to future generations.  And now, with the help of my family today, I’m sharing it with you.

David Scriven is a lens-based artist living in Toronto. Using cameras inherited from his father and grounded in documentary photography, his photographs have explored decay and renewal in the urban ecosystem. Common Ground, an ongoing project, emerged out of ancestry research started during the COVID-19 pandemic. Images from this series were recently featured at the Spectra 2024 group show at 918 Bathurst Centre for Culture, Arts, Media and Education and in the online Montreal-based magazine Carte Blanche, Issue 46.  He has exhibited work at the MacKendrick Community Gallery, Artscape Youngplace, Gallery 44 Centre of Contemporary Photography in Toronto, as well as ViewPoint Gallery in Halifax. In November 2021, he self-published a photo book entitled Alexandra Park that captured a year in the complete demolition and rebuild of the Toronto west-end community housing project.

Contact the artist directly for information on purchasing.

Contact: Dscriven57@gmail.com
Website: davidscrivenphotography.com
IG: @davidalbertscriven

May 14th to May 25th, 2025
918 Bathurst Street, Toronto
Sun and Star Rooms

Hours: Wednesday - Sunday, 12pm to 5pm
Opening reception: Thursday, May 15th from 6-9pm
Artist talk: Saturday, May 17th from 1-3pm