Art project
The Snow Is Salt
A 2014–2015 series after William Notman — cutting, duplicating and redacting his Montreal photographs to reappraise their role in shaping a Canadian national identity
2014 – 2015The Snow Is Salt examines the role played by William Notman, a photographer based out of Montreal during Canada's formative years, in shaping the country's national identity. The work involves cutting, duplicating, restaging and redacting Notman's photographs to create new compositions. Tape and other alterations create a unified surface — one of an image in conflict with itself, a trompe l'œil waiting to fail. Rather than denouncing Notman's work or notions of national identity, the project calls for a reappraisal of their functionality today.