“I do what the crack tells me to do,” she illustrates, affixing a marmot mosaic in a crevasse from the sidewalk on her street, Boulevard Pierre-Bernard.
Posted at 9:30 a.m.
Laurence Petit is the one we call the fairy of the sidewalks. She lives in the Mercier-Est district, just opposite the “precious” wooded of the Thomas-Chapais park. His workshop occupies a large piece of his basement. “It was the house of my grandparents,” said this proud Montreal from the East.
This spring, the artist adds more mosaics to the sidewalks damaged of his neighborhood, thanks to a permission from his arrondissement and a subsidy of the Council of Arts and Letters from Quebec (CALQ). She also spends time in Gatineau, in Outaouais, to improve her journey of works in the Gatineau cultural path.
Photo Marco Campanozzi, the presses
An urban sperm
After having the playground of Abraham as a playground last summer, the fairy of the sidewalks has another very busy year. It is in a creation residence at the insectarium, which will culminate by mosaics of insects in Bitumen de Pointe-aux-Trembles breaches. Finally, the artist is delighted to be invited in France in July, at the Inspire urban art festival, which takes place in Liméesy, Normandy.
A revelation
Laurence Petit was 25 years old and worked in advertising when a friend offered to do an initiation workshop in the mosaic.
The first time I kept a pliers and I broke ceramics, something physically happened in me and I found my medium. I wanted to feel this all my life.
Laurence Petit
“At the time, the mosaic was little known. People thought I was doing ceramics, ”she continues. It is an art – which consists in assembling tesselles to make it a work – better understood today. In particular thanks to artists like Laurent Gascon, to whom many Murales-Mosaics are owed in Montreal, including those of Janette Bertrand and Yvon Deschamps.
Photo Marco Campanozzi, the presses
Laurence Petit
The mosaics make it possible to revive an object of value or precious, like a family vase which has smashed, for example. However, Laurence can use as much English dishes as that from Stokes or Ikea. “For me, dishes always has a story,” she says. I transform it and go for it with love. »»
A first “crack” five years ago
Before becoming the fairy sidewalks, Laurence led many projects in schools or for individuals (kitchen backrests, showers, floors). We also owe him works of public art at the Mil campus in Montreal and in the open -air museum of Beauce Art.
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Photo Marco Campanozzi, the presses
La Marmotte has found its place in the sidewalk of Boulevard Pierre-Bernard.
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Photo Marco Campanozzi, the presses
The fairy sidewalks loves the pieces of colorful and flowery dishes.
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Photo Marco Campanozzi, the presses
Leave its trace on the sidewalks …
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Photo provided by Laurence Petit
At the Thomas-Chapas park, you can see a mural of mosaics evoking the seasons that the fairy of the sidewalks made in 2022 with students from the Saint-Justin school.
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She invested her first “crack” sidewalk in front of her home during the pandemic. She had just discovered the art of “flacking” by the popular “Street Tileurleur” Ememem, who lives in Lyon. However, it was necessary to find a technique for the mosaics to survive winter … and to the snowlores! “I met a retired engineer who told me what type of cement to use,” says Laurence, who can today count on a Proma commanditis, a company of floor covering products located near her home in Anjou.
To summarize his approach, the first step is to spot in a sidewalk what could be compared to a puff nest, then draw the shape on a sheet of paper. This serves him as a boss to assemble his mosaic in his workshop. Adhesive then allows him to hold everything in place and return outside for installation. Then, during drying, an orange cone adorned with a bouquet of flowers advises the passers -by of the current operation.
Photo Marco Campanozzi, the presses
Laurence uses rapid -taking cement specifically designed to plug concrete cracks. “But I will not reveal all the secrets of my technique,” she says.
A social link
“My goal is to create a link with passers -by. They must attach themselves to the mosaic, ”argues the fairy of the sidewalks.
In his neighborhood, it is mission accomplished, we saw by crossing many neighbors enchanted by his presence. “Laurence is so beautiful. I come to congratulate you, ”said Suzanne Beaulieu, asking where the recent chat mosaic is and pointing that Renard’s needs a retouching.
“It is a fairy and it is our angel of the sidewalks,” exclaimed for his part Lucien Larrivière, who has a mosaic just in front of his building. Children are constantly stopping with their parents. I open the window and tell them it’s a sperm whale. »»
People even make orders for him … in vain. “In front of us, Laurence tells me that it is not a good crack,” said Karine Dubé, while she was walking with her daughter Azel.
For Azel, the mosaics of the fairy of the sidewalks ensure a reassuring presence in the district. “They are good for morale. When the snow melts and we see them, it is the first sign of summer. »»
