2012 | Bois-Franc-Aquarelle School, Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Canada
Ici et maintenant (Here and Now)
This project captures the energetic exuberance of fourteen young children at recess time. The dynamics of the work are generated by the reversal of the expected axis of the scene, that is from its horizontal axis, to a vertical axis. The placement of the children in space suggests two movements; seven of them heading upstairs (towards the classrooms) and the remaining seven downstairs (outward). This double movement is a response to the function of the staircase as a place of passage and it suggests both the movement towards the studies offered by school and the movement towards the outside world. The gestures and postures of these children evoke the concentration and flexibility typical of youth; bright colors, their joie de vivre and finally despite their various and different trajectories, their ability to share a common space.
Text: Stephen Schofield