Isabelle Hayeur

Isabelle Hayeur... Linda (2006). From the series Maisons modèles (Model Homes, 2004-2006) by Isabelle Hayeur. "...I photographed different types of dwellings, modest homes as well as more upscale residences. They mainly come from the new housing developments popping up on the periphery of Montreal , and from the facilities of a pre-fab home manufacturer. A computer graphics program was used to alter each house and then re-position it in a new context. Similarities can be drawn between my virtual models and the models found in the catalogues and websites of contractors. The composition and framing are similar and my models also have women's names (a common practice in this industry.) My locations, however, are much more disturbing and strange, even disconcerting … The goal here is not to shape things in order to attract a clientele, but rather to attract critical attention to this phenomenon. Each of my models is a portrait that develops a different aspect of the relationship between our societies and the land they use. These houses thus model the way we really inhabit the world."