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Maude Arsenault

2023-2024, UQAM

A large, rectangular photograph depicts a close-up, black-and-white image of a hand grasping a piece of soft, white draped fabric.  The photograph rests on a light wooden floor in a white gallery room with columns, crown mouldings and panels. S'accrocher, 2022 by Maude Arsenault. 152 x 203 cm, impression photographique au jet d’encre sur papier cellulose, panneau de bois, couverture de laine, vue d’exposition La force de la douceur, Projet Casa, Montréal

After several years behind the lens in the fashion world, Maude Arsenault, photographer, artist, mother and feminist, forked around 2015, towards the visual arts. Her work invests the themes of female representation, private space, domesticity and intimacy within the framework of a photographic approach that oscillates between abstract compositions, self-portraits, landscapes and documentary images. She explores from the photographic and printed image, collage, sculpture and installation. In doing so, her projects deploy body-spaces and unexpected body-spaces, in a perspective of self-determination for women.

Maude Arsenault holds a certificate in art history (UDM) and is a Master's candidate in visual and media arts at UQAM. She is the recipient of the Centre des Femmes de l’UQAM scholarship (2020), the Yvonne L. Bombardier visual arts scholarship 2021 and various scholarships from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.

An overhead shot of a white-walled corner features a white cube with a dark, textured top. Numerous small, white spheres, possibly resembling snowballs, are scattered across the gray tiled floor around the cube. Au milieu de la tempête, 2021 by Maude Arsenault. 74x101 cm, photographie et pâte à modeler, argile, impression au collotype de l’Atelier Benrido de Kyoto, (dans le cadre du Grand prix Hariban 2020), œuvre et vue d’exposition à la Galerie Media Shop, Kyoto, Japon, 2021
Detail of a black-and-white photo of a hand grasping a piece of soft, white draped fabric. The folds in the fabric create dramatic shadows. The extreme close-up reveals the weave of the fabric. S'accrocher, 2022 by Maude Arsenault. 152 x 203 cm, impression photographique au jet d’encre sur papier cellulose, panneau de bois, couverture de laine, vue d’exposition La force de la douceur, Projet Casa, Montréal
A white square canvas with faint text and a gold leaf detail hangs on a white wall above a white shelf. A gold-handled mirror lies on the shelf, reflecting the surrounding space. The end of mirror's handle lies off  casts a shadow on the white shelf. Vous ne voyez pas ce que je vois, 2022 by Maude Arsenault. 25,4 x25,4 cm, toile de lin, acrylique, feuille d’or, encre, miroir, laine, tablette Ikea. Vue d’exposition La force de la douceur, Projet Casa, 2022, Montréal
A black and white photograph of two crumpled paper-like pieces affixed to a white wall. The pieces are positioned side-by-side, creating a symmetrical composition. The top halves are light with a faint, tree- or grass-like pattern, while the bottom halves are solid black. Acte 1 : Théâtre de l’intime, 2019 by Maude Arsenault. 152 x 203 cm, impression photographique au jet d’encre sur papier cellulose, présenté dans le cadre de l’exposition Au bout du rouleau, CDEx, UQAM, Montréal
A framed photograph of pink velvet curtains hangs on a white paneled wall. The curtains are draped and folded, creating a sense of depth and texture. The photograph is centered and fills most of the frame. A small, white label is visible on the wall to the right. Rideau rose, 2022 by Maude Arsenault. 107x147 cm, impression photographique au jet d’encre sur papier coton Projet Casa, Montréal, 2022
A black and white photograph depicts a wall under construction, showing wooden frames and joists and translucent, plastic. On the right, a white wall features a small label and a stack of papers on a white pedestal. At home, 2021 by Maude Arsenault. installation video et sonore, texte et voix, tapis mousse jaune au sol. Galerie Media Shop, Japon, 2021. 1min18 Video: https://vimeo.com/620308349
A black and white photograph of a fabric-like sculpture hanging on a white wall. The sculpture appears to be made of 2 translucent panels with a woven texture, draped and folded into different lengths to create a three-dimensional effect. A dark, triangular shape is visible beneath the layers of fabric. Vitrine double, 2023 by Maude Arsenault. View of exhibition, POPUP, Montreal
A framed black and white photograph hangs on a white paneled wall. A black and white photograph features a close-up shot of an arm and hand, possibly while removing clothing. Faint French text handwriting over the image reads: "le pivot de moment où elle prend la parole et Reprend le Contrôle." Le pivot, 2021 by Maude Arsenault. View of exhibition La force de la douceur, Projet Casa, 2022
Abstract black and white photo of two wrists bound in white paper tape. The arm in the foreground is heavily freckled, the second arm is out of focus and hardly discernable. Mains nouées, 2021 by Maude Arsenault. 74x101 cm, Entangled 1&2, Galerie Media Shop, Kyoto
A large, rectangular photograph rests in a gallery in front of white paneled glass doors. Brown paper wrapping frames a black and white abstract image of a forest or landscape. A white, outlined shape, perhaps a misshapen halo, becomes the focal point of the photo due to its contrast. Halo, 2022 by Maude Arsenault. Projet Casa, Montréal, 2022
An abstract drawing on textured paper depicts the back of a nude female figure in black lines. The form is sectioned by horizontal lines at the neck, ribcage and base of the spine. A white, textured area obscures the head. Dos de femme, 2019 by Maude Arsenault. Livre Entangled, DeadbeatPress, Los Angeles.
A brightly lit, white-walled gallery space features three artworks. On the left, a tall, narrow mirror leans against the wall, reflecting a pile of crumpled white material. In the center, a square painting depicts a dark landscape. On the right, a large, framed artwork features fragmented, abstract shapes in black and white. Quand le regard se heurte, 2023 by Maude Arsenault. View of exhibition, Galerie POPUP
An outdoor scene, where a large, dark fabric is draped over a section of a white, wooden-sided building. The fabric appears to be printed with a textured pattern and hangs loosely, creating a sculptural effect. The building has a gray roof and sits on a gravel ground with a wooden boardwalk in the foreground. Étoffe de soi : plis et replis, 2021 by Maude Arsenault. Rencontres de la photographie en Gaspésie, plage de Percé, Québec
A framed black and white, overexposed photograph of a simple two-story house, overlayed by a hand-drawn cube and pathway to the house's door. A splotch of yellow lies where the path and door meet. Home trap, 2021 y Maude Arsenault. Made at Atelier Benrido de Kyoto, (during the Grand prix Hariban 2020), Galerie Media Shop, Kyoto, Japan, 2021
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