L’INCONNU Amsterdam

House Artist 05 · Charts and soundings

L’INCONNU Henri Valois

A chart is a promise about water you cannot see.

Chart of an unnamed approach, 1987. Ink on toned paper.
LX-HV-001 · Chart of an unnamed approach · 1987

Henri Valois draws sea charts of coasts that do not exist. He works like a hydrographer: depth contours first, then soundings, then the rose, then the land last of all.

His charts for the House follow the old method, ink on toned paper, every number placed by hand. They are maps of places one could arrive at, and a reminder that every arrival was once only a line on paper.

Soundings in fathoms. Land hatched, water left clear.

Soundings, northern channel, 1987. Ink on toned paper.
LX-HV-002 Soundings, northern channel · 1987
Harbour, with rose, 1988. Ink on toned paper.
LX-HV-003 Harbour, with rose · 1988
Bank and shoal, 1988. Ink on toned paper.
LX-HV-004 Bank and shoal · 1988
The outer roads, 1989. Ink on toned paper.
LX-HV-005 The outer roads · 1989

House archive

  1. LX-HV-001Chart of an unnamed approach1987Ink on toned paper
  2. LX-HV-002Soundings, northern channel1987Ink on toned paper
  3. LX-HV-003Harbour, with rose1988Ink on toned paper
  4. LX-HV-004Bank and shoal1988Ink on toned paper
  5. LX-HV-005The outer roads1989Ink on toned paper