Editorial
As with everything, foresight is important in Art. This disheartening story is in point. At the passing of their parents, the children divided among themselves the paintings that were part of the estate. So far, so good. Works of great value, from highly renowned artists. Then a sinister event occurred: a major fire at the home of one of the heirs. Many paintings are destroyed. A total loss. The legatee files a claim with his insurance company: $40,000 for a Suzor-Côté, $20,000 for this Cosgrove, $15,000 for a René-Richard and $37,000 divvied-up among three works by Francesco Iacurto, Claude Picher and René Gagnon. “Dad said he paid $40,000 for the Suzor-Côté,” says the son, but there is no proof.
Altogether we are talking about $122,000 worth of artworks that went up in smoke. Not including the lost patrimonial and historic value of these assets. The home itself was evaluated at $259,000 and insurance covered this amount. The glitch is that the paintings themselves were not insured. This is where the problems start, hassles opening wide the door to the tactics of insurance companies. Were there assessment certificates delivered by an independent assessor? No. Where pictures of the artworks submitted to the insurer prior to the incident? No. Then, everything will be considered as part of the “movable assets” provision, at great loss. Which would be appalling. Hence the importance of having your artworks assessed by a specialist, since their value f luctuates according to numerous criteria and parameters but mostly through supply and demand on the market.
Retaining purchase invoices pertaining to the artworks is certainly helpful, but only to a certain extent. For insurers will conduct their own assessment in keeping with their profit rationale, or if you prefer… paying as little as possible… and this, by touring galleries to determine the current asking price for your artworks. This sinister roundabout could lead to the under-valuation of your property, which would thus be significantly lower or erroneous. Every insurance company has its own policy in this regard. It’s up to you to make sure you have a clear understanding of your coverage to avoid incurring important losses.
As the saying goes: “It’s better to be safe than sorry!” Very apropos, don’t you think?
Michel Bois
Many thanks to Mr. Claude Belley for his collaboration. Galerie LeBelley, 91, rue Saint-Paul, Québec, QC, 418 694-0995
Winter 2020
La prévoyance comme en toute chose a sa place en Art…
Great Encounter
“Several aspects of a painting are worthy of interest. The subject, the theme, must always be rendered in a simple, coherent fashion, but still impress the beholder. The viewer must be led – by avoiding unnecessary details – to follow the path the painter intended and behold the sensation which possessed the artist.” – Alfred Sysley.
A freedom-loving farmer’s son, René Gagnon wanted to be a “coureur des bois”. The hazards of life and an irresistible calling towards artistic creation determined otherwise. Definitely for the best! Indeed, some of the greatest visual artists of the time passed on to him their tremendous and tumultuous passion for art. Artists such as René Richard, Cosgrove, Ayotte, Albert Rousseau, Marc-Aurèle Fortin, and many others.
Au pays d’un royaume (Saguenay), oil on Masonite, 40 x 48 in, 2008
This simply due to the fact that he was the nephew of René Bergeron, an important artists’ manager, who invited his protégés to come and paint on his land in the Saguenay. Thus, self-taught painter René Gagnon was privy to the best lessons in art and life itself through the words of these passionate, freedom loving, masters. In interview, the artist warmly reminisces about these moments, late in the day, when everyone appraised the work of others, often providing constructive criticism. But always delightfully appreciative of how a colleague was able to capture the beauty of the landscape and the fugacious lights of the moment.
Féerie d’automne, oil on Masonite, 40 x 48 in, 2016
Text by Michel Bois
66, chemin de la Pointe à Gagnon, Anse de roche, Sacré-Cœur, QC
Musée René Gagnon, 203, rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montréal, QC
Hiver 2020
Several aspects of a painting are worthy of interest…
Abstraction in Art
“Matter is the unconscious of form.” – Gaston Bachelard
The artist is delighted. Never before have her works been so well received by the public. Her agenda is filled with dates of forthcoming events and exhibitions.
Sylvie Grondin began her visual arts career in the field of printmaking at Engramme in Québec City. She has ever since been exploring the infinite possibilities of paper and colours. Hence, the inclusion of the precious and revealing material in her mixed techniques paintings.
Petits papiers (30), 20 x 20 in
Text by Michel Bois
Sylvie Grondin is represented by:
Galerie Off, 113, Rue Saint-Paul, Québec, QC 418 569-3316
Galerie Le Luxart, 66, Rue Saint-Paul Ouest, Montréal, QC 514 848-8944
Hiver 2020
Matter is the unconscious of form…
Contemporary Realism
“It is the selection of details, and not their number, that ensures a portrait’s likeness.” – Alexis Carrel
The initial contact is cordial, thus promising. The man is baldheaded and wears an earring on his left earlobe. His steel blue eyes express confidence while imparting a dreamlike stance. Denis Jacques (IAF) is forthcoming and loquacious.
His words flow like a river: “Natives of the Mauricie region either head for Québec City or for Montréal. I first went to the big city, but I adored Québec. There is no comparison. I was drawing a lot and had heard that the city hosted a lot of portraitists. When I saw Sainte-Anne Street, with its mighty trees and friendly artists, it was an easy choice. I first settled-in to draw portraits during the summer of 1980 and remained until 2004,” explains the artist.
Mathilde au pourpoint, oil on wood mounted on cotton, 20 x 16 in, 2015
Text by Michel Bois
Denis Jacques is represented by:
Galerie Archambault, 1303 Notre-Dame, Lavaltrie QC 450 586-2202
Galerie Le Pépin d’Art, 204 Sainte-Rose Blvd, Laval, QC 514 965-9637
Académie Internationale des Beaux-Arts du Québec.
He is also the founder of the Académie des Beaux-Arts de Québec, where he dispenses courses to a large public: 755 Charest Blvd. East, Québec, QC 581 989-1337 – admin@acbacq.com – denisjacques@acbaqc.com
denisjacques.ca – info@denisjacques.ca
Hiver 2020
It is the selection of details…
Artist Profil
“A painting and its painter part ways when they no longer need one another. When the painting can no longer nourish the painter, when the painter can no longer nourish his painting.” – Christian Bobin
A master painter once said: “If you start working on a painting and already see it completed in your mind, abandon the project and start another; your painting is already done,” relates the artist to his students. He adds: “A painting comes to life as it is being created.”
For two years now, Guy Brassard has had the opportunity of teaching drawing and oil painting to diverse groups of students. He urges them to step out of their comfort zone, to forego the safety of photographs and let themselves be guided by their instinct, by what radiates from within. An intuitive painter, he teaches them how to observe and interpret, to trust themselves, to loosen-up. “An artist must remain open to the unexpected, welcome surprises and accidents,” says the teacher. “The canvas will speak to you!” A conversation occurs between the painter and his painting. During the process of creation, it invites him to apply such a colour, to draw a particular shape. Once a work is completed, a painter might say, for example, that this barn’s blue roof simply could not have been painted in another colour; this shade of blue naturally imposed itself to him along the process.
Champs de rêve, oil applied with spatula on canvas, 27 x 57 in
Text by Anny Brassard
Hiver 2020
A painting and its painter part ways when…
Actual Art
For many years, Marie-Claire Plante has painted in the evening, at night and during the weekends in order to live-out her passion and address her profound need to express herself, as she pursued a career in a field totally unrelated to art. Despite full-time employment, she nevertheless managed to spend upwards of 30 hours a week at developing her talent.
Her retirement in 2013 allows her to finally devote herself wholeheartedly to her painting, resulting in an unprecedented increase of her artistic output. Her inquisitive nature had previously lead her to experience a variety of mediums as she endeavoured, in research mode from year to year, to discover new avenues the combination of which will later constitute her pictorial uniqueness. The various paths she explores over the years intertwine and orient her style which becomes resolutely abstract. “Becoming an artist was always my wish. In the beginning, I did not yet allow myself to paint without figurative benchmarks, although the desire to stray was already there and is now fulfilled in my present works. Figures have long been part of my creative process, although they more often than not already bore the manifestation of this latent intention to one day burst the boundaries,” she says.
Passage obligé, mixed techniques, 36 x 48 in
Text by Lisanne Le Tellier
Marie-Claire Plante’s paintings are exclusively accessible from her personal website: marieclaireplante.com, and her Facebook page.
Hiver 2020
For many years, Marie-Claire Plante has painted in the evening…
Thumbnail Sketches
A new young abstract painter has recently joined Québec’s visual arts community: MEG. Born in 2007 in Québec City, Mégane Fortin started painting at the age of seven under the auspices of her teacher, artist Maurice Louis. Talented and quite determined, she is encouraged to pursue her emerging artistic practice.
She first exhibits her works in Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury, a Québec City suburb, at the age of nine, in duo with her teacher. The exhibition garners great success and the rising young artist gains public renown. Art lovers in attendance are impressed with her talent and most of the exhibited works are sold, many of them notably being purchased by European collectors.
Abstrait 4
Text by Marie-France Bégis
From April 23 to 26, 2020: Artexpo “Solo” New York PIER 94, 711 12th Ave, New York (NY)
From December 1st 2019 to May 31st 2020: “Vibration” Themed exhibition at the Musée d’art contemporain VR 3D, 54400 Longwy (France)
Hiver 2020
A new young abstract painter has recently joined…
The Musée de la Gaspésie presents Raymond Jacobs – Gaspésie, 1954, an exhibition of 39 photographs presented exclusively at the Musée and never before shown in Canada. Seen through the eye of seminal New York photographer Raymond Jacobs, these landscapes, portraits, and scenes of life take us to the heart of the Gaspésie in the mid-1950s and possess both significant historical value and an unparalleled photographic aesthetic. Renowned for creating illuminating documentary photographs, Jacobs immortalizes both the hard work of Gaspé families and the area’s grandiose maritime landscape. From L’Anse-à-Valleau to Percé, the larger-than-life characters seemingly come alive through Jacobs’ photographs. Until October 4, 2020.
Hiver 2020
The Musée de la Gaspésie presents Raymond Jacobs…
The Museum of ingenuity J. Armand Bombardier proposes two new guided tours available year-round. Vehicle enthusiasts will enjoy Innovate and conquer, a 45 minutes guided visit of the reserve. They will discover how Joseph-Armand Bombardier and his team were able to develop vehicles that floated on snow, thus inventing a new winter pastime. Those who would like to know more about the man behind the inventor, the visit entitled J.-A., a really good guy is made for them as it sheds light on many sides of Joseph-Armand Bombardier, from the ecologist to the entrepreneur as well as the family patriarch. The Fab Lab Community temporary exhibition is another good reason to visit the Museum. Finally, on the 1st of February 2020, the Museum and the Yvonne L. Bombardier Cultural Centre unite to organise the not to be missed Winter Enthusiasts event which will propose free activities and entertainment all day long.
Hiver 2020
The Museum of ingenuity J. Armand Bombardier proposes…
By popular demand, the Montréal Museum of fine Arts (MMFA) is extending the run of the exhibition Egyptian Mummies: Exploring Ancient Lives until March 29, 2020. Already seen by over 100,000 visitors, this major exhibition offers a completely new picture of the everyday life of six individuals who lived along the Nile between 900 B.C.E. and 180 C.E. using an innovative approach that combines the arts and science. Making its North American premiere at the MMFA, the exhibition presents six mummies together with 240 artifacts from ancient Egypt from the collection of the British Museum. Non-invasive medical imaging techniques made it possible to shed new light on different aspects of the life – and death – of these six ancient Egyptians. Until March 29, 2020.
The MMFA is opening its doors to a selection of artworks from the remarkable art collection of Ontario philanthropist, collector and patron W.Bruce C.Bailey. The exhibition “For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you” brings together a selection of over 100 paintings, photographs, works on paper, and sculptures spanning vastly different time periods and cultures, drawn from his extraordinary collection. These works encourage visitors to consider how art can reflect a unique sensibility and simultaneously unearth shared commonalities, inviting us to better understand differences. Contemporary Art Square, Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion, until March 29, 2020.
The MMFA also presents About Face: Photographs by Cindy Sherman, Laurie Simmons and Rachel Harrison. This exhibition brings together the work of three major American artists whose practice is deeply engaged with the history of representation of women. Presented artworks are drawn from the collection of Carol and David Appel, prominent collectors of international contemporary art in Canada. Graphic Arts Centre, Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion, until March 29, 2020.
The Montreal Museum of Fine-Arts will transport you to 19th and 20th century Paris in the company of the great Post-Impressionist masters with the exhibition Paris in the Days of Post-Impressionism: Signac and the Indépendants. Paris, 1900: a revolution was underway during the Belle Époque. “Art for all!” declared artists who exhibited under the motto “no jury, no awards.” Cofounder of the Salon des Indépendants, Paul Signac made a name for himself as the theoretician of the so-called “postimpressionist scientists.” Discover a magnificent body of 500 paintings and graphic works from an exceptional private collection to be exhibited in its entirety for the first time – the largest collection of works by Paul Signac, but also of avant-garde: Impressionists (Monet and Morisot), Fauves (Dufy, Friesz and Marquet), Symbolists (Gauguin, Mucha and Redon), Nabis (Bonnard, Denis, Lacombe, Sérusier, Ranson and Vallotton), Neo-Impressionists (Cross, Guillaumin, Luce, Pissarro, Seurat and Van Rysselberghe) and observers of life in Paris (Anquetin, Degas, Lautrec, Picasso and Steinlen). From March 28 to September 27, 2020.
Currently presented at Musée Pointe-à-Callière, the exhibition entitled The Incas, Treasures of Peru! gives Montréal museumgoers a taste of one of the richest legacies of craftsmanship the world has ever seen. A North American exclusive, the exhibition takes visitors on a stunning journey deep into Andean and Peruvian cultures to reveal the secrets of the Inca Empire, its power, its mysterious rituals and customs, and, above all, its remarkable artistic achievements. Until April 13, 2020.
The Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (MAC) continues to grow its international reputation through three remarkable travelling exhibitions. Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything, one of the most popular international travelling exhibitions in MAC’s history begins the second leg of its international tour today in Copenhagen, Denmark, where the exhibition will be presented until April 13, 2020 at the Kunstforeningen GL STRAND and Nikolaj Kunsthal Art center. Meanwhile, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: Unstable Presence, coproduced with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), may be viewed until March 1, 2020 at the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo in Monterrey, Mexico. The tour’s next stop will be at the SFMOMA, from April 25 to November 1, 2020. Also, the Françoise Sullivan retrospective continues its Canadian tour at the Art Gallery in Windsor, from February 14 to May 10, 2020, and then at the Musée régional de Rimouski from October 18, 2020 to January 31, 2021.
Winter 2020
By popular demand, the Montréal Museum of fine Arts (MMFA) is extending…