Benched

On the surface, these images are simply documentation of the benches in various subway stations, specifically those within the city of Montreal. While there is no human presence being shown, there is still evidence that these benches are used on a regular basis, be it through graffiti, the oil stains from people’s hair or by the general uncleanliness of the surroundings.

But subways are an important part of today’s urban social landscape. When used in urban development, subways ensure a more vibrant, accessible and convenient city for its population and the benches within the stations symbolize a continuous flow of transit-users, where thousands of people from a vast array of different demographics will sit every day. From a societal aspect, it is one of the few places where this takes place, creating a congregation of different income levels, ethnicities, religious beliefs and ages, silently interacting every day.

On an aesthetic level, Montreal, with the varied architectural designs for each subway station, creates an interesting juxtaposition between modern design influences from various eras, from the 1960s to the 1990s. In the future, this project will extend to different cities to better compare the different architectural and social vernaculars nationally and internationally.

This project was photographed in 2009. All prints are available for purchase. Two of the images (‘Edouard-Montpetit Station’ and ‘Place St-Henri Station’) are available for purchase through Eye Buy Art. For sizes, pricing or more information on the other prints, please contact me.