The Last Thing Chantale Daigle wanted was to become a national celebrity

Chantale Daigle is a true Canadian heroine, a woman who brought the abortion issue, and so the issue of women’s rights, to the forefront of the Canadian legal system. I was inspired by her persistent courage in the face of a great deal of intimidation on the part of anti-abortion groups. Despite the constant harassment, she never lost sight of what she believed in -- her right to make decisions about her own body and her own future. I based the image on a photo by Gill Kirdup that appeared in an article in Chatelaine magazine. The image was computer-manipulated to change contrast, details, and degrees of angles, and is set into the painted background by an acrylic transfer method.

Formally, I have drawn from the semiotics of motion picture space, as well as from Soviet propagandistic graphics. Essentially, the exaggerated expanse behind the figure symbolizes the emotional distance Chantale traveled during her struggle. This space also represents the perspective of the viewer, the Nation in this case. The tilt of the figure represents not only humility but the position of a woman in action. The use of exposed architectural aluminum at the top and base, and the painting’s relatively large, billboard-like scales are my attempt to implant this image materialistically into the fabric of our built environment. The use of black and white, the aspect ratio of the frame, and the white lower borders refer to the media, specifically Chantale’s mediation, and the publicizing of a very personal and sensitive event. The title of this piece is a quotation from the Chatelaine article: “The last thing Chantale Daigle wanted was to become a national celebrity.” Through her courage and the sacrifice of her private life, she benefited all Canadian women.

Monique Genton