As I enter my late twenties, I have become intrigued by the doubt involved with falling and being in love.  I have witnessed an age-appropriate panic raging through friends and acquaintances about love and relationships.  There seems to be a common faltering, an unspoken hesitation regarding commitment and relationships.

In my attempts to unfurl the mysteries and mechanics of love, I have read books, watched movies and intensely examined my friends and family.  Since puberty I have anxiously awaited for my expectations and desires to be met, but unfortunately, there are no truths about love.

Despite the joy and fulfillment a relationship may offer, there are also difficulties and doubts.  A fresh romance, with its hope of happiness, can be an all consuming focus at the start of the process. Quickly and without realization, we are changed by the act of falling in love.  Our autonomy, self-reliance and priorities shift - in some cases more significantly than others. During the first months of 'bliss' we rarely notice this change, but in moments of discontent or strife, questions and skepticism arise.  Suddenly love - or what is understood as love - seems insufficient.  As this shift occurs, some of us slowly drift into the realm of doubt - doubtful of our emotions, our choices and ourselves.
 

Originally from Vancouver Island, Jennifer Long moved to Toronto in 1994 to study photography at Ryerson University.  Upon graduating she became actively involved in the arts community through volunteer work, exhibiting and curation.  Jennifer's photography has been shown in England, Germany, Hong Kong, and across Canada.  Her upcoming exhibitions include Vulnerable Light, Open Space (Victoria, BC) and Silence, Modern Fuel Gallery (Kingston, ON).  She has received project and exhibition assistance grants from the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.

As a curator, Jennifer Long values emerging talent and is known for her ability to mix well-established artists with younger contenders. This is illustrated most recently by her curatorial project with Sophie Hackett, The Found and The Familiar, Snapshots in Contemporary Canadian Art, which was toured by Gallery TPW across Canada from 2002-2004.

 

Jennifer has worked with a variety of arts organizations including the CONTACT Toronto's Festival of Photography, The Kodak Lecture Series, Magenta Foundation, Ryerson Gallery, and the Stephen Bulger Gallery.  She is currently the Director at Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography.

Jennifer is represented in Germany by Galerie Poller, www.galerie-poller.com and in Ontario by Leo Kamen Gallery, www.leokamengallery.com.

Full details of Jennifer's practice can be found at www.jenniferlong.ca