previous | home |

 

Affluents, 2019
Sorel-Tracy Marine Terminal
plywood, tinted and natural veneers with gold, copper, aluminum leaves and stainless steel
387" x 95" x 24"  / 983 x 241 x 61 cm

 

 

Creating a strong work that establishes a true dialogue with the building’s architecture is fundamental to my approach. More than that, however, it must establish a dialogue with the site in its entirety—its geography and its mission—at the same time as it respects the community that will use the site. By taking these distinctive characteristics into account, I aim to create a specific piece that will be expressed in the language of my own artistic practice, while integrating harmoniously with both its environment and with my work as a whole.

It was important for me to create a work that echoed the water, the river—not just because the building is a marine terminal, but mainly because the identity of the city of Sorel-Tracy is closely linked to the St. Lawrence and Richelieu rivers.

The work titled Affluents consists of fluid forms that fit together to give a sense of unity and movement, and to create an extended unfolding of mountains and waves. This piece is like a window that opens up onto a landscape… an imaginary landscape… a multifaceted landscape that reflects the nautical world facing the building. The way the forms are arranged and their sculptural look produce a perspective effect that gives the illusion of wide-open spaces. The imagery the work summons up lies somewhere between abstraction and figuration, and thus makes it emblematic of a place that wishes to maintain a balance between the individual and the community. Designed to freely allow many different interpretations, it will let all those who pass through the Sorel-Tracy Marine Terminal form their own relationship with the work, a relationship that will invariably evolve over time.

Affluents is made up of various veneers of wood tinted different colours (blue, turquoise, green, red) layered with natural wood (walnut, ebony, kingwood, padauk), as well as gold, copper and silver leaf. The different colours of the wood and the natural colours used connect inside with outside and generate a dialogue with the vista seen through the curtain walls. This sculptural mural unfurls along the wall so as to evoke the movement within the architectural geometry. The harmonious dialogue creates a dynamic accent in the space. In this way, architecture and artwork enhance and amplify each other.

 

Yechel Gagnon, 2019

 

Acknowledgements :
I would like to sincerely thank Natacha Chamko, Pierre Fournier,  Alexandre Masino and Christian Miron for the development of this ingenious hanging system and their pristine work during the installation of this artwork. 

 

 

 

©2001 Yechel Gagnon