John Latour, Untitled, 2000 wooden chair, acrylic paint 85 x 40 x 73 cm
Pierre-François Ouellette art contemporain is pleased to present Four Corners, an exhibition of sculptures by Montréal artist John Latour. In recent years, Latour has been inspired by old-fashioned pieces of furniture and found objects as source material for his art practice. In this current exhibition, broken chairs, a chest of drawers, and a wooden cane are transformed into uncanny works that occupy four corners of the gallery space. Everyday furnishings become strangely unfamiliar; and nostalgia gives way to a tension that invites viewers to reconsider the manner in which these pieces are regarded.
Four Corners also includes examples of an untitled and ongoing text-based series that the artist began in 1999. Latour uses white paint to blank out entire passages of text from some of his favourite works of fiction, including Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. As the original narratives disappear, new, and largely intuitive ones begin to emerge from the words that remain, such as This strange home (2002) and The steps were already suspicious (2002). Placed in antique wooden frames, these works resemble inspirational mottos like "Home Sweet Home"; however they are anonymous, and their new meanings remain ambiguous.
John Latour holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Ottawa. He has participated in several group exhibitions and special projects in Canada and abroad; and is the recipient of grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council. His most recent solo show, Close Encounters/Rencontres intimes was held at the MacLaren Art Centre in Barrie, Ontario in 2002; and will travel to the Glendon Art Gallery (York University) in Toronto later this year. The artist presently lives and works in Montréal, where he is pursuing a graduate degree in art history at Concordia University.
ARTICLES
- Willard, Christopher. "John Latour." Canadian Art 20 (winter / December 2003): 98-99
- Lehmann, Henry. "Furniture and Fiction." Montreal Gazette 3 August 2003: B8
