Nathalie Bujold

EN WING EN HEIN
01.08–02.08.1998

Behind the phrase “En wing en hein”—which, to eyes unaccustomed to detecting the local nuances of an accent in written form, essentially reads as “en voyageant” (traveling)—lies the title of the exhibition. This phrase, drawn from a well-known Quebec song[1], highlights the project’s itinerant nature and immediately frames Nathalie Bujold’s undertaking within a playful context. However, one must look beyond the easy appeal of this “game-like” terminology—suggested by the installation’s delightful setup—to grasp its underlying intent. The aim here is to draw upon the essence of our folklore in order to celebrate its motifs, its rich flavor, and its colorful character. Folklore is, quite literally, the “lore of the people”—the anthropological sum of traditions, customs, and the ways a culture envisions its ideal self. Bujold’s work raises questions about how popular cultural imagery is constructed and displayed within spaces usually reserved for “serious” art. The result is a body of work that flirts with a kind of homegrown Pop Art through the whimsical, uninhibited use of textile materials and techniques—such as wool socks, knitting, and lumberjack shirt patterns. Pictorial and three-dimensional constructions depict the artifacts and icons in which we recognize ourselves. In doing so, the forms play with the nuances between art and craft, creating a curious and inventive connection to the “picturesque”—much in the manner of painters.

Patrice Duhamel

1 *Le Rapide Blanc* by Oscar Thiffault