[English follows] La photographie, l'art textuel et la sculpture de John Latour explorent le concept du « passé » et la manière dont il est médiatisé par des images, des textes et des objets. Dans son travail photographique, il utilise des instantanés trouvés ou des portraits d'individus et de petits groupes de personnes du début du vingtième siècle. En appliquant des mouchetures de peinture blanche sur ces figures anonymes, leurs traits deviennent flous et mis en évidence - existant à la fois dans le passé et le présent, dans un état de présence et d'absence.
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John Latour’s photography, page art and sculpture explore the concept of “the past” and how it is mediated through images, texts, and objects. In his photographic work, he uses vintage found snapshots or portraits of individuals and small groups of people from the early twentieth century. By applying flecks of white paint to these anonymous figures, their features become blurred and highlighted – existing both in the past and present, in a state of presence and absence.

John Latour is a Montreal-based visual artist who works in a range of media including sculpture and installation, found photography, page art, and artists’ books. Latour holds a BFA in Studio Arts, a MLIS, and a MA in Art History. He is the recipient of grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec – and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (as a member of the research group Elastic Spaces). Latour has had solo exhibitions in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and London (UK) and he has participated in group exhibitions across Canada and abroad. His work is found in the Hallmark Fine Art Collection (Kansas City), the Fine Art Collection of the City of Ottawa, and the Tom Tomson Art Gallery (Owen Sound) in addition to numerous private collections.