The eye is a camera between two people who don’t know each other and have absolutely nothing in common. Two women, separated by everything, who will slowly and subtly come together through a dialogue about art, the body, creation, desire and the violence hidden, suffered and repressed.
Seen on À Premier Acte until February 25th, the creation of the Compagnie Vénus à vélo, written and directed by Rosalie Cournoyer, tells the story of the encounter between Camille and Sophia.
Camille wants to close the workshop of her father, the artist Pierre Bordeleau, who is the victim of a heart attack, and discovers a young woman, Sophia, naked in the workshop. Sophia is a living model for the painter. The surprise is total.
Camille, who studies art history, looks down on Sophia. She feels uncomfortable in the presence of this naked body exposed to her. She judges that Sophia is being exploited by her father and that it will only be a while before she is replaced.
Sophia, who likes to be watched, sees things differently. She tells her story and reveals what led her to become a live model one day.
Maureen Roberge excels in this segment. She provides the details of this painful event with accuracy, vulnerability and sensitivity. Camille’s view of Sophia slowly changes.
nudity
In return, Sophia opens, interpreted by Marie-Ève Lussier Gariépy. Her father never wanted to paint her. She was jealous of the other women he painted. In a subtle way, the two women reveal their secrets and become closer.
The eye is also interested in nudity and the place of women in art. “Five percent of the artists are women, 85% of the painted nudes are women,” notes Camille.
The view approaches relationships between women, hidden, suffered and repressed violence, survival and nudity in art. This nudity is present from the first minutes and at the end of the 90-minute piece.
Maureen Roberge and Marie-Ève Lussier Gariépy offer solid performances on the boards. The two actresses do an excellent job of playing the different states of their characters.
It flows and everything fits together. The lyrics by Rosalie Cournoyer are well written. The eye deftly guides the viewer to connect with the well-lit and well-acted states and experiences of Camille and Sophia.