La Cage et L’Acte de Foi 2021

Sandra Chevrier made "La Cage et L’Acte de Foi" using watercolor, and collage with printed media. Here, the artist uses traditional fine art materials in combination with mass produced comic book pages. Note how the smooth translucency of watercolor gives way to the angular paper fragments, glued and layered to construct the subject’s face. The comic book images are carefully selected and placed, creating a fragmented appearance. Yet this is more than mere decoration; these motifs evoke themes from popular culture. This brings the question of labor and politics to mind. On the one hand, we have the labor involved in the physical painting of the portrait, and on the other, the labor involved in the mass production of comic books. Chevrier’s practice deliberately challenges art historical conventions, elevating the status of craft-based practices such as collage while engaging with the commercial world. This reminds us that the meaning of any artwork lies not only in its appearance, but also in the materials, making processes, and cultural context that inform its creation.