Josée Pedneault – McGill University Health Centre, Quebec

In 2015 we were commissioned by the artist Josée Pedneault to help create a series of murals for McGill University Health Centre in Québec.

 

Josée’s design explores plants of the boreal region, indigenous to Québec, in a set of black and white photo compositions.

Each of the plants – Ulmus rubra (slippery elm), Thuja occidentalis (white cedar), Borago officinalis (borage), Pinus strobus (white pine), and Cetraria islandica (Iceland moss) – was chosen specifically for its therapeutic effects on the respiratory system.

Josée produced a calming series of backlit, original black and white photographs to form her design titled “Annedda”.   As a work of inherent meditative qualities, Annedda speaks to the poetic and introspective approach of the artist, who explores the delicate structure of human relationships and reveals the invisible, yet unbreakable bonds that bind us to our world.

The original photographs were then transferred to 415 (four hundred and fifteen, 20 x 30 cm) ceramic tiles to create five stunning murals.

Installed in the Thoracic department, the designs make direct reference to the plants and trees traditionally employed in the treatment of respiratory afflictions, showing continuity between past scientific developments and modern technological advances.  “Symbols of strength and fortitude, the northern plants of Annedda remind us of the soothing, restorative and healing powers of nature. Annedda, meaning “tree of life” in the lost language of the Stadacona nation, takes us to a moment in history when mutual support and empathy led to an alliance between peoples.”

 

About the artist

Josée Pedneault lives and works in Montréal. She completed her Masters in Fine Arts at Concordia University in 2005. Her visual strategies begin with photos, videos, objects, drawings and found images, often leading to ideas that take the theme of the existential quest. Travel and wandering are central to her artistic exploration and her reflections on the human experience: our hopes and the disillusionment they bring, our utopias, our failures and our broken dreams. Her work has been exhibited in several countries, notably Canada, France, Poland, China, Cambodia and Luxembourg.

 

Find out more at: https://muhc.ca/muhc-heritage/page/josee-pedneault