PUBLIC ART TRIAL no.1: SORTIE

 Over the last month, I have been cleaning up my studio. Not just a spring cleaning, I mean a major overhaul, because my studio-mates and I were given the boot by the landlord. They are replacing our studio space with offices. So we had to dump a lot of junk (and if you have been to my studio, you would know that I collect junk) and purge ourselves of all unnecessary items and supplies so that we can move into a new space with a clean(ish) slate to start from. I had a few large pieces hanging around that I felt the need to part with, so I decided to find a place to exhibit them in the city.  The first piece is called SORTIE, a digital print of a full-sized door with a matching frame.

I exhibited this piece in a show that I had three years ago and I remember that I had to point it out to some viewers, because they had not realized that it was a print. It fit perfectly on the gallery wall and provided the illusion of an exit door. I did not want to simply throw out this trompe-l'oeil, as it was one of those experiments that I hadn't figured out what to do with, or how to bring it to the next level. I had the impetus to find an outdoor location to exhibit it  and, on the last cleanup day at the studio,  I brought it out and awkwardly carried it around with me  until I found an appropriate spot. It was windy that day so the piece kept acting like a sail, pushing and pulling me as I lugged it around.

My former studio space (R.I.P. William Street Collective) was very close to the Lachine Canal and I conveniently found a signpost that didn't have a sign on it to attach the work to. I roped it to the post with the front facing the Canal.

It is on the gravel bike path on the North side of the Canal, as you exit the des Seigneurs bridge heading east. With all the new construction happening in Griffintown, it was nice to see something that wasn't a condo being erected in that area. 

I went back that same night to see it if was still up, or if someone had tagged it. I was glad to see that it was untouched. Something I learned many years ago while finishing my undergrad at Concordia is that as soon as you put artwork in the public, anything can happen to it. You need to accept that because it is a part of the piece.

I went back the next day as well, around noon on Saturday. It was nice to see that some of the passers-by appreciated the work!

UPDATE: MAY 9TH

I have been since this last photo, taken about a week ago and this particular location has changed since then. The company that is starting construction on the land (see yellow CAT truck in the photo above and also the multiple cranes in photos posted further above) has put a gate surrounding this entire property and partially blocking the view of the piece and the surrounding cityscape. The more I experience this piece in context to all the development that is happening in Griffintown, the more important it becomes for me. The door creates an illusion of the potential for another place. What is behind the door? It is up to each viewer to project themselves on the other side of the door. And its presence within a natural location gives it a curious, even magical kind of appeal. The door also acts as a reminder of the history of that part of the city, which is being completely gutted right now. It is like an apparition, or a ghost; like if there was once a house there and the door has mysteriously emerged, in the guise of a fringe phenomenon, beckoning the passers-by to remember what this place once was. 

It is very interesting to witness the evolution of this piece of artwork within a consistently changing urban landscape.