Inspired by Sir John Everett Millais’ painting, Ophelia, from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, I spent several years documenting staged scenes in and under water (both in photography and video), but only a fraction of the material was ever used – for a short video entitled, Hush, and a series of digital collages, including Incommunicado.
The photos depicted here are from a shoot in 2009 that took place in Quebec, where I spent a weekend with a group of artist friends from Montreal and Paris. Alex (above) was making a short film, in which we all took part, either as actors or grips, and I was working on my Ophelia Project, for which my friends spent hours floating in a chilly stream.
Somehow along the way my project stalled, and the photos remained buried in my computer until now. I’ve begun the process of shortlisting and editing a selection in order to finally bring this work to light.
This post is in honour of Alex, who passed away earlier this year. He would have wanted me to finish what I started. This is the beginning.
Michelle LaRiviere 
Amazing. Thank you for unburying these photos and sharing them with us.
Thanks so much, Kurt. The project seems to have an added layer of meaning now, so it’s appropriate that the work we did not go to waste. Thanks again.
Vraiment très beau. Laissez-mois savoir la suite de vos projets. Je monte l’année prochaine une version de Hamlet de Koltès et tout ce qui s’en rapproche m’intéresse grandement. Bise!
André
Merci André! Où sera la pièce? Au Canada, ou en Europe? Il y a quelque chose à propos de cette histoire qui continu à capturer l’imagination… pour moi elle possède une profondeur complexe. En plus, ce n’était pas le plan du tout d’avoir un homme inclus dans l’interprétation d’Ophélie, mais les circonstances ont fortement provoqué une réévaluation de métaphores possibles. J’aimerais savoir la direction de ta pièce… traditionnelle ou contemporaine?
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Thank you, Alyssa. Much appreciated, and thanks for dropping by. 🙂