JE ME RENSEIGNE SUR LES MAISONS, 2015

by Ian Carr-Harris

archival digital print

24 x 18 in (61 x 46 cm) unframed

edition of 10

‘Je me renseigne sur les maisons’ is the title of an original French language primer for children in Quebec. In the poster series, ‘Je me renseigne sur les maisons’, the title has been spread over four individual posters, each depicting a particular set of buildings, separating the words of the title into four parts as well: Je me – renseigne – sur les – maisons. By stretching the title words over four of the pages in the primer, the purpose of the primer – to introduce children to language and its components – is slowed down, reinforced, becomes a form of construction, like the construction of a building. It invites the play of proper ordering, the discovery and construction of meaning. It is the foundation of our identity.