Cate McGuire has created this site specific window installation ‘Seeing it through’ for one of the historic factory windows at Swipe Books. It can be seen in their north-facing window at 401 Richmond, on the Richmond Street West side of the building, just east of Spadina.

‘Seeing it through’ is a part of an ongoing body of work by McGuire called ‘putting things together’.

Each piece in the series involves the use of cut-out MDF panels painted to look like the folded paper chains we made in kindergarten, to connect a group of small collaged scenes.

The ‘paper chains’ are flat and only look three dimensional from a distance. As well, the collages are made up of disparate fragments of magazine photos that only look like real places.

The idea is that you will be able to see the installation separately from both sides of the window. The small collages will appear to be windows themselves. From inside the building, the installation will show a variety of exterior views. From the exterior of the building the images will show assorted views of interiors. The intent is for the installation to make sense from both sides of the window, inside and out. What you see will depend on which side of the window you are on.

Because it is winter, the installation is in black and white and shades of grey to echo the muted palette of the season.

Cate McGuire is a Toronto based multi-disciplinary artist and designer who uses various media to build emotionally resonant spaces that reference both the natural and the built world.  She works in traditional media such as painting and drawing, also with textile arts, photography, some printmaking, and with collage, both analog and digital.