Kassandra Reynolds comes from the region and studied photography at Cégep de Matane. She graduated in 2018 and since then she has carried out her projects in the form of documentary photography. It is interested in social issues such as loneliness, homelessness or intergenerationality. She goes to meet people who stand out for their way of life.
Sébastien Bachand is a professional musician. He is a trained double bass player, he grew up in Sutton and studied jazz in New York. Having been immersed in the arts, he developed an interest in poetry and followed several training courses.
Together, they traveled the region for several weeks to photograph and draw inspiration from the most beautiful barns in Brome-Missisquoi.
The Charpente exhibition by Kassandra Reynolds and Sébastien Bachand will be presented from August 24 to September 29 Grange Walbridge at the Missisquoi Museum. (Kassandra Reynolds)
“We really want to highlight the soul of the barns that have always fueled our imagination,” says Kassandra Reynolds.
“For us, the idea of Charpente is also rural communities which often started with a church or a barn. They themselves constitute the framework of Quebec society.”
— Sébastien Bachand
They explain that each family is linked to a barn or a farm and that the link, direct or indirect, is for the entire community.
The duo, who are also a couple in real life, have the pleasure of working together on this project which allows them to combine their passion.
Frame will present images of barns photographed in the Brome-Missisquoi region as well as poems on the theme of wood.
“The goal is for it to be cohesive. The story we are told reflects the culture of the barn,” explains Mr. Bachand.
Inspiration
Ms. Reynolds and Mr. Bachand come from the region and are proud to belong there.
“Sébastien and I love the region and we are inspired just by our daily life and our daily life is walking in the region and what we see are barns here and there,” mentions Mr. Reynolds.
She also adds that these buildings become landmarks when traveling from one city to another.
“People in the region were happy to open their doors to us so that we could visit their barn,” says Kassandra Reynolds, artist photographer. (Kassandra Reynolds)
“It’s an integral part of the landscape. It’s aesthetically rich, it’s historically rich, it’s rich in content,” maintains Mr. Bachand.
According to them, barns tell a story. The duo likes to imagine the life that people had around these buildings, the life that formed people’s daily lives.
“The ideal barn is the one that tells its story, the one that exudes a rich history.”
— Kassandra Reynolds
Carrying out projects with the community is part of the lives of both artists and it is a way of building links with it.
Grant, residency and opening
The duo obtained a grant from the Conseil des arts et lettres du Québec (CALQ) as part of the Estrie Territorial Partnership Program to be able to carry out their exhibition Frame.
They must join forces with partners in the region to carry out their project and this is why they will do, among other things, their artistic residency at D’Arts et de rêve from July 1 to 14, which is an old barn.
“With the idea of doing the project on barns, we really teamed up with partners who are themselves in barns,” explains Ms. Reynolds.
The opening of Charpente will be held, in formula 5 to 7, at the Wallbridge Grange of the Missisquoi Museum which is also the only barn that has 12 sides in Quebec and then the exhibition will be presented until September 29.
