Dominique Blain: Elsie, A Tribute (French and English Edition)

Catalogue for a permanent installation starting in 2006 at Jardins de métis, Redford Gardens (Rimouski, QC).

Dominique Blain has created a permanent sculptural grouping for one of North America's most celebrated gardens. Les Jardins de Métis were begun in the 1920s by Elsie Reford along the banks

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of the St. Lawrence River. The gardens reflect a bold inventiveness since they are located near the 49th parallel and yet display thousands of varieties of flowers, many developed especially for the climate. Blain's sculptures recall coin-operated binoculars that, instead of bringing the view closer to the viewer, transform the view from the present to the past. The lenses have been replaced with glass photomontages created from photographs from family archives. The visitor explores not only the garden of today but the garden, and the gardener, of years past. Essays documents various facets of the project, including Dominique Blain's artistic practice and Elsie Reford's contribution to the society of her time.

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