Place St-Henri Station

from the series Benched by John van der Woude, 2008

Artwork Statement

I spent a Sunday morning traveling around the Montréal Metro system, investigating the different designs of the metro stations, as each one in the city is unique from the rest. I traveled to stations I rarely visited, and when I pulled into this station, it immediately struck me as an interesting clash of lines and outlandish bench designs. The almost throne-like appearance of the bench is in immediate competition with the strong horizontal lines of the bricks behind it as well as the diamond-tiles of the floor. Opened in 1988, it’s a testament to the “over-design” of the 1980s and would undoubtedly never be designed like this today. That’s not meant to detract from the design, but rather to suggest that it’s a snapshot of a different design aesthetic where function took more of a backseat to showmanship.

Artist Biography

John van der Woude is an award-winning artist who initially studied art and design at Camosun College in Victoria, BC and later received his BFA from NSCAD University in Halifax, NS in 2007. He has shown his work across the country and is included in numerous private collections. He currently lives in Kelowna, BC.

Learn more about John >

Purchase Details

The prints you receive are archival, photographic prints on a semi-matte paper with a longevity of 100+ years under normal light conditions.

Each print ships with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by the artist, which serves as proof your artwork is a bonafide member of its limited edition. You should keep this in a safe place.

All prices are in American dollars (USD).

Framing

Canadian customer orders are framed in Toronto; orders from the United States are framed in Ohio. All frames come with D-rings for installation. All orders come with our free downloadable installation guide.

Shipping

Upon receiving your order, we will send you an order confirmation. Your artwork(s) will be printed and framed to order. Expected lead time is 3-4 weeks. Delays due to COVID-19 are possible and depend on the shipping provider. Feel free to send us an email anytime about your order!