L’Œuvre de Dieu (God’s Artwork)

L’Œuvre de Dieu (God’s Artwork) was inspired by an encounter with a particular rock discovered while hiking along the St. Lawrence River at Pointe-des-Monts, on Quebec’s North Shore. This single rock brought together countless strata, cracks, junctions, textures, and shifts in colour. It contained so much information that it was impossible to take it all in, even with a camera.

At the time, the exploration of organic forms had given way to a freer investigation of texture and colour. In the abstract landscapes that followed, matter often replaced drawing and allowed for a less controlled form of expression. The encounter with this rock, however, awakened the need to draw once again.

In this panoramic work, the eye follows the rock formation across its entire length. Light and dark masses meet, divide, and overlap, while the rock’s lines reveal transformations accumulated over time. In the background, the vertical forms of the forest contrast with the horizontal movement of the stone.

Faced with such complexity, a new feeling emerged: that of being a student before a master. This master was not a person, but Creation—nature itself. The rock already appeared to be a complete abstract work, shaped by time.

This encounter marked the beginning of the Stratis collection, whose name evokes strata, layers, and the traces left by time. L’Œuvre de Dieu and L’Œuvre de Dieu II are the first two works to emerge from this new exploration.