From 2017 to 2021, I had the privilege of working as a research assistant with Professor Mélanie Boucher at the University of Quebec in Outaouais. This project, titled The Living Picture in Contemporary Art: Cataloguing, Documenting, and Analyzing a “New” Type of Practice, focused on the in-depth study of a fascinating artistic form that blends performance, stillness, and staging.
Article’s thumbnail: Photo by Rendy Novantino on Unsplash
The Living Picture: An Immersion in History and Practice
The living picture, situated between painting and performance, is a practice that stages still bodies within a pictorial composition. This research project focused on tracing the history of this art form, understanding its transformations, and analyzing its impact on contemporary art.
One of the major starting points for this study was Laurier Lacroix’s conference, L’image faite corps, la pratique du tableau vivant au Québec avant 1920, presented at the Stay Still, Translate symposium. Thanks to a large database of compiled data on the subject, the research allowed for a deeper exploration of several key areas:
- The origin of the term “living picture” and its evolution over time.
- Its use and significance in various artistic and cultural contexts (theatre, popular arts, visual arts).
- The interaction between stillness and movement, and the notion of embodiment in these performances.
Research at the Intersection of Multiple Disciplines
The project highlighted how the living picture occupies a space between several artistic practices. By documenting and analyzing this tradition, we were able to establish connections between historical performances and contemporary works that revisit this technique.
Impact and Perspectives
This research experience deepened my understanding of performative practices and the dialogue between tradition and innovation in art. It also paved the way for new explorations of the relationship between the body, image, and temporality in contemporary artistic creation.