stream culture. Thus, the party is a safe space for their identities to flourish. Anton is able to capture crisp, candid shots because he is engrained in the urban, creative, queer-positive culture that he photographs. Anton naturally fell into the role of photographer because of his presence at friends’ music shows. His attendance at these music events has established his photographic rapport with the community. Anton has stated that music is a huge part of his work because it brings people together, regardless of “… color, creed, race, everyone likes to party”(Anton). Parties and ultimately nightlife do bring people together in ways that can be progressive in comparison to gatherings that take place in dayto-day space (Yunza 18). Anton’s party images signal a particular point of view, one that promotes inclusivity and diversity that is very much engrained in the artistic, nonprofit youth culture within downtown Toronto. An undeniable aspect of nightlife and the pulse of Toronto parties like Yes Yes Ya’ll is the essence of cool (Walker, Major). Parties generally have a connotation of being exclusive events for those in-the-know of what is hip and in style. Parties are a place to see beautiful people and be seen. As opposed to large-scale clubs that are open every weekend, monthly parties and those that happen on a rare occasion carry a higher cultural cache. A
consciousness and intellectualism is associated with being inthe-know of particular parties. Attendance at a party like Yes Yes Ya’ll demonstrates an understanding and appreciation for diversity. The ability to demonstrate knowledge on 1980s hip-hop and current dancehall music among other genres, signifies that one is conversant in music and cultures from around the globe. This positions a person as well travelled, worldly, and cool. In the words of Hank Willis-Thomas, “ ...the coolest kids weren’t the ones who could perform Blackness or whiteness the best; they were the ones who could flow seamlessly from metaphorical coast to coast without a ruffle...”(Willis-Thomas 106). Therefore, Anton’s images offer the allure of a cool, hip, and creative community while also signifying a type of intellectualism that is often associated with a global or diasporic way of being. The vibrancy of the moments he captures, the posturing of his subjects and the fashion styles can be referenced to sites that span across Black geographic and culture spaces (Mercer). While Anton’s images speak from the particular location of Toronto, (signaling the composite nature and intellectual task of performing Black identities in a Canadian context) they uniquely portray a kind of Toronto Black cool (Hall 447).
18