| Title | Touching the flow |
| Artist / Creator | Guylaine Couture |
| Artist's Nationality | Canada |
| Place of Publication | Magog Quebec |
| Publication Date | 2025 |
| Process / Technique | Traditional printing, gelatine plate printing, laser printing |
| Structure / Binding | a collage of pieces of book on a wooden board |
| Medium / Materials | Wood, book parts, book pages, metal, cotton thread, paper pulp, tyvek |
| Paper Stock | Various |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 19.75 x 9.75 x 1 inches |
| Edition Size | Unique artist book |
| Signed & Numbered | Signed by the Artist (Unique) |
Touching the flow by Guylaine Couture
Rituals can take many forms. They are often developed around a series of steps to achieve a goal. For this exhibition, I focused on the most essential ritual in my life, that of going to a moment dedicated to my creativity.
I examined my transformation from an attitude of daily work to this state of creation, called flow, which requires intense concentration.
I realized that all my senses were involved: touching the paper, smelling the colour, taking a sip of coffee and so on. I had to go through several short stages to calmly make way for this opening up to my imagination.
My book is made up of many pieces of books. I start with this cover page evoking a rather calm everyday life, and then go through the stages one by one in the backs of books that transport me towards flow, energy and colour.
This ritual changes me inside. My vision becomes sharper. My colours are increasingly stimulating, they blend together and the textures of the prints enrich the senses involved.
There are pauses, reflections, sometimes it all happens very quickly, or sometimes it's more difficult to detach myself from everyday life. All these emotions pass through me like an impulse. The text reveals my journey towards this space.
For me, the process of flow is about opening up and listening to my inner imagination. I'm all ears, I listen to my thoughts. I'm sensitive to the movements of my mind, giving it all the space it needs to capture the magic of this timeless moment, because that's the greatest treasure of all.
Artist Bio
Guylaine Couture designs artists' books to create works where content and container merge to make the message more powerful. Her books are based on themes that affect her: feminism, ecology, grief, migration, etc., which she treats in evocative layouts where every word is weighed up. Creating a book is the fruit of a long process of reflection, construction and deconstruction using recycled materials, photos, drawings, engravings and whatever else becomes necessary. The artist is constantly thinking about the visitor's reaction, so that the experience is an emotional one. For her, the ‘reader’ must have a connection. Guylaine Couture has been producing artist's books for several years, and she also creates various works on paper. She regularly takes part in exhibitions in various countries and her books have been acquired by private collections and national and university libraries in Europe, the United States and Europe. The artist lives and works in Magog (Canada).