Marianne Tricot's 'Petit Bois' Blends Art and Science in a Tactile Book of Quebec Forest Drawings

In 2024, French artist Marianne Tricot unveiled 'Petit Bois', a compact book emerging from two month-long residencies at a research facility in Quebec's forests. During her winter and summer visits, Tricot, typically based in her Paris studio, collaborated with scientists, employing oil pastels and collage to depict the forest's personal, social, and scientific stories. Designed by Paul Dagorne, the book showcases 92 pastel illustrations, collages, and a glossary of scientific terms, all connected by hand-drawn pictograms created with Dagorne and designer Cléo Chevillon. These pictograms reflect the dot-based DNA of the Harber typeface from Benoît Bodhuin's studio bb-bureau. Initially aiming for a more educational approach with diagrams, Tricot shifted focus to drawings inspired by her dynamic interactions with scientists. She also included contributions from paleoecologist Dorian Gaboriau and Mélanie Bellefleur, an Innu Indigenous land guardian, in the glossary. The finished work fosters a conversation among artistic, scientific, and local viewpoints, encapsulated in a format that mirrors the residency's immersive experience. Tricot's creations can be explored on her website and Instagram.