2021 sees the inner city faced with a totally unexpected crisis. People choosing to no longer live and work in the core has meant that the future of the city, as we now know it, is a huge question mark. Speculation abounds.
perte de contrôle relates to the endless mass of conjecture that bombards us daily and has become an uncontrolled, incomprehensible blur. There seems no clear way forward.
Each piece in this series is constructed of layer upon layer of images gathered from newspapers, emails, handwritten letters and photos, all referencing this sudden exodus from downtown life. The layering technique obscures what lies beneath. Words and phrases, such as adieu centre-ville, télétravail, lonely city, boulot en pyjama, float to the surface, forming a subtitle to each work.
The series attests, as well, to my letting go of the art process and allowing each piece to reveal itself organically. Images are placed, scrubbed back and others added with no attempt to control the process. The layering entraps tiny imperfections reflecting the grittiness of urban life itself.
As in trying to imagine the future of the city, the process is ongoing and constantly open to adjustment as we struggle to adapt. Text is as important as ever in my work, but with perte de contrôle, it has come to take over. Yet another uncontrolled event.
