This artwork named "Jeux d'enfants / Child's games" is constructed from metal materials including a round base that holds a u-shaped cradle pivoting a small house-like structure. The house component has a chimney and the entire display stands about 37 x 18 x 13 cm. Both sections rotate independently a full 360 degrees on their respective axes creating a moving, spinning piece. On a symbolic level, the title "Child's Games" paired with the house elicit imagery of childhood imagination in the context of play and innocence. The playful spinning may represent how children imaginatively transform objects in their minds during pretend adventures. However, the metal composition and burnt, damaged appearance of the shelter introduce more ominous tones. This alludes to how even innocent childlike activities harbor subtle undercurrents of violence as tragically evidenced in today's wars, political conflicts, and military machines built for destruction. Ultimately, through contrasting symbols this artwork reflects on the loss of purity and wonder as children mature into adulthoods permeated by realities of apathy, trauma, conflict and fear. The contrast leaves an unsettling, ominous feeling regarding hope for maintaining innocence in the face of encroaching societal violence. The layered meanings capture an ambivalence between childhood’s mental sanctuaries and the harsh future they may inherit.
A panoramic view of the shoreline of the St. Lawrence River near Kamouraska, Quebec
A panoramic view of a church near Kamouraska, Quebec