This series portrays significant Montreal artists and their creative environment. Painters, sculptors, writers and musicians are photographed on classic analog film.
Gallery
Marc Leduc — Portrait of painter Marc Leduc in his atelier, at home in Montreal, Quebec (2018).Julie Robinson — Portrait of painter Julie Robinson in her Mile End atelier, in Montreal, Quebec (2019).André Fournelle — Portrait of sculptor André Fournelle in his atelier, at home in Montreal, Quebec (2019).Armand Vaillancourt — Portrait of sculptor Armand Vaillancourt at home in Montreal, Quebec (2020).Ola Volo — Portrait of muralist Ola Volo at work on boulevard Saint-Laurent in Montreal, Quebec (2019).Glen LeMesurier — Portrait of sculptor Glen LeMesurier in his Van Horne Terminal atelier, in Montreal, Quebec (2020).Whatisadam — Portrait of street artist Whatisadam in his silkscreening shop, in Montreal, Quebec (2019).Chinook Blais-Leduc — Portrait of actor Chinook Blais-Leduc and his vintage bicycle, in Mount Royal Park, Montreal, Quebec (2019).Chris Dyer — Portrait of artist Chris Dyer in his studio, at home in Montreal, Quebec (2020).Harri Saeso — Portrait of painter Harri Saeso at Marché Ventura dépanneur in Montreal, Quebec (2019).Erik West Millette — Portrait of musician Erik West Millette in his West Trainz studio, in Montreal, Quebec (2020).Blake Eaton — Portrait of musician Eddy Blake Eaton in his garden, in Montreal, Quebec (2019).François Alfred Mignault — Portrait of neon artist François Alfred Mignault with a saxophone, in Montreal, Quebec (2019).
Beyond a faithful documentation of the times, the project is interested in the artist as an oracle, interpreter and messenger of a reality which escapes rational thinking. Like a demiurge, the artist is momentarily invested with the heroic power of creation.
The serie’s photographic approach is a combination of classic portraiture and documentary photography. These are environmental portraits, in which the photographer foremost seeks to grasp the deep nature of his subject, but also depicts them in their immediate personal environment, adding narrative elements to the representation.
The layout of the workspace and the tools of the trade, while being essentially functional elements, are also revealing of an intimate staging which contributes to the portrait of the artist, as do their physical appearance or the work itself.
Gallery
Chloé Surprenant — Portrait of painter Chloé Surprenant with revolvers, in her trailer in Montreal, Quebec (2018).Andrew Iqaluk — Portrait of Isculptor Andrew Iqaluk in Mount Royal Park, Montreal, Quebec (2019).Robert Prenovault — Portrait of sculptor Robert Prenovault with a concrete casting of himself, in Montreal, Quebec (2018).Daniel Morel — Portrait of photojournalist Daniel Morel, owner of Photo Café in Montreal, Quebec (2018).Nantha Kumar — Portrait of chef Nantha Kumar with a glass of wine, in his kitchen in Montreal, Quebec (2019).Mephisto Bates — Portrait of painter Mephisto Bates in his Hochelaga-Maisonneuve atelier, in Montreal, Quebec (2019).Eric Sandmark — Portrait of Rock & Roll guitarist Eric Sandmark at bar l'Escalier, in Montreal, Quebec (2018).
The portraits are taken on classic analog medium format film (6×7). The negative is exposed, developed, then scanned and processed in a digital darkroom. Finally, the chosen images are printed on light-sensitive photographic paper. This hybrid approach, part physical, part digital, allows for very large prints while also maintaining the rich, deep tonalities provided by analog processes.
Upcoming exhibition
Gallery
“An artist’s headspace” exhibition — The exhibition will feature around forty large format silver prints.
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