In 2016 I had the privilege of being invited by the art collective Unis Vert l’Art to produce works from the recycling of artifacts from the famous Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, which was being renovated.
My choice of material was the lead crystal from the chandeliers of the hotel.
Accustomed to bronze, stone, clay, resin and wax, materials that all share the property of reflecting light, although in various ways, I wondered what would happen to the work when the light passes “through” or is reflected. What “secret” does it reveal when the main light source bounces from all directions?
To have a basis for comparison, I worked from two molds, from which I had already produced works (Woman with the bun and The Warrior who became a Poet), in bronze or opaque resin.
After crushing the crystal and passing the fragments through various sieves to obtain seven gradations, from fine particles to almond-sized pieces, I combined the crystals with transparent liquid resin.
Many experiments were necessary to develop different ways of combining the crystals with the resin.
Finally, by using a method of layering I applied the lead crystal/resin combinations to the molds selected to create this series “Translucency”
All the works produced by myself and several other artists were exhibited in 2018 at the Le Livart Contemporary Art Center in Montreal as well as at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel.
