Waiting Room, Catholic Society Services Center, Montreal Possibly 1977 - 1991

Lynne Cohen made this photograph of a waiting room in the Catholic Society Services Center in Montreal. Cohen was known for her images of institutional spaces such as offices, laboratories, and, in this case, a social services agency. The image is drained of people but full of visual codes and cultural references. The floral upholstery of the chairs and the idealized landscape on the wall seem intended to provide comfort. But there’s also a slightly off-kilter, unsettling feeling that comes from the bare functionality of the room. In Quebec, the Catholic Church played a central role in providing social services for much of the 20th century. This only began to change in the 1960s. So this photograph might invite us to reflect on the changing role of religious institutions in society, and on the visual languages they use to present themselves to the public. To understand this artwork fully, we might research the history of social services in Quebec. By examining the institutional history, we can better appreciate the complexities of the image.