Toronto G20 Love and Hate Protest Black and White Photography
A Handwritten Message Held Beneath A Quiet Face
The sign fills the lower half of the frame, but my eye returns to the face above it. I photographed this seated protester during the G20 demonstrations in Toronto in 2010. Her handwritten message reads, “Hate Cannot Drive Out Hate Only Love Can Do That,” with both hands gripping the lower corners.
I was drawn to the contrast between the large, emphatic lettering and her restrained expression. The sign makes its statement plainly, while the photograph holds a quieter moment within the gathering. Another woman, seen in profile with a flower in her hair, adds a second face just behind her.
Black and white gives the pale cardboard a strong graphic presence. Dark letters break up its broad surface, and the hands connect that surface to the person holding it. Loose hair, folded legs and surrounding figures make the scene more layered than the message alone. A bicycle wheel and softer bodies remain visible in the crowd behind.
I wanted to keep both parts of the photograph together: the public words and the individual carrying them. The close framing allows the message to be read from a distance, while closer viewing brings attention back to the faces and gestures. For me, it preserves a specific moment of Toronto’s street life during the demonstrations, with the human encounter remaining as important as the sign.
© Dan Kosmayer, 2010
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About My Fine Art Photography
Every photograph in my collection comes from my own travels, explorations, and years behind the camera.
I create my work as photographic art rather than mass-produced decoration. From street portraits and abandoned places to landscapes, architecture, and the unusual subjects I discover along the way, each image begins with something that made me stop and look.
My photographs are available in multiple sizes so the same image can work in anything from an intimate wall space to a large statement installation.
