Photomanipulation nominee

The dreamlike images from this series blur the boundaries between reality and fiction as they portray the ways in which children use their imagination daily to venture, much like Alice in Wonderland, down the rabbit hole — a pursuit which allows them to release inner tensions and overcome the difficulties encountered by their developing selves. Indeed, a child’s fantasy life is kindled by a combination of contradictory fears and desires which, through play, help him to better deal with the very real pressures of growing up and having to shape his identity in a constantly changing body. Tinged with poetry and expressive candour, my whimsical trompe l’oeils are invitations to dive into the teeming, colourful reverie of a child actively negotiating his place in the world.

Catherine Rondeau is a Montreal-based Canadian fine art photographer and videographer. Born in 1971 in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, she grew up in Sherbrooke, Québec, in a predominantly French-speaking milieu. After completing an Arts and Letters program in junior college, she went on to receive a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in photography from Montreal's Concordia University. Her combined skills in writing and lens work allowed her to carve out a career as a freelance video journalist. In 2010, Rondeau earned a Master’s degree in Communication from the Université du Québec à Montréal. The following year, she published an essay on the concept of fantasy in folklore and fairy tales. Inspired by her research, she made a return to photography with an initial series of digital photomontages (Beyond the Looking Glass) that focuses on the imaginary world of children. In her latest series (Northern Crossing), the artist naturally transitioned to explore the period of early adolescence.