foldspace by Ann Piché

As the first woman hired by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to work as an electronic technician in the 1990’s, Ann Piché’s life experience shapes her unique perspective on the relationship between science and art.

Ann says, “At the RCMP, I worked within systems defined by precision, structure and measurable outcomes. This revealed for me, both the strength and limitations of scientific thinking. This is the tension that shapes my work.”

Exploring photographic abstraction and in-camera experimental techniques, Ann’s images are not software generated, but are created physically with light, movement, and custom-made sets. This commitment to the material is central to her process, allowing complex and intangible ideas to take on a physical form.

She says, “My work is not about illustrating science; it is about the emotions that arise when facing the unfamiliar.”

A graduate of the School of the Photographic Arts: Ottawa (SPAO), her work has been presented in solo exhibitions in Canada and in group exhibitions internationally. Ann’s recent artistic collaborations include the Departments of Mathematics at the University of Toronto and York University.

Her work has been supported by the Jackman Humanities Institute at the University of Toronto, the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences, the City of Ottawa, and the Ontario Arts Council. Her work has been published in SHOTS and photoED magazine.

Learn more: apichephoto.com