SOUS L'OEIL DE RIOPELLE
A multidisciplinary artist who has been working in the artistic community for over 25 years, Jean Gaudreau is now a must in the Quebec art market and is well known to all contemporary art lovers.
Jean Gaudreau is one of the most committed artists in Quebec City: he is a fervent defender of the city's heritage. This affection for Quebec City is reflected in his works, which combine sculpture and painting. His attachment to the city is also reflected in his close collaboration with Cirque du Soleil and his partnership with none other than Robert Lepage for the development of the visuals for the Image Mill in 2009 and 2010. Jean Gaudreau also puts his expertise to work for various organizations such as the Mental Illness Foundation, the Quebec Youth Foundation, the Alzheimer's Society, and the GRIS Québec organization (an organization that aims to abolish prejudices towards LGBTQ+) by offering his works to multiple fundraisers and auctions.
His artistic approach is characterized by his impulsiveness, spontaneity and undeniable artistic instinct. He is remarkably in line with the contemporary artistic trend while maintaining his unique and assumed touch. His work is deeply inspired by the circus world and the world of dance. Rich in collaborations with these two circles, one can feel a dynamic and fluid movement in his works. These two worlds apart represent the artist's ideal of bohemian freedom.
Jean Gaudreau doesn't paint the world, he paints his own universe with various organic materials such as aged wood or oxidized copper in an eventful and spontaneous gesture. For Jean Gaudreau, art is a visceral activity. Painting represents more than a passion: it is an insatiable need. It is not only a way of life, but also a reason to exist.
Titre : SOUS L'OEIL DE RIOPELLE
Série : Hommage à Riopelle et ses oies blanches
Technique : Estampe numérique sur papier arches enhanced from the artist's hands in pencil and oil pastel.
Dimension: 30 X 30 in.
Année : 2023
Encadrement blanc inclus de 40 X 40 po
Le point de départ de cette oeuvre est un portrait de Jean-Paul Riopelle, photographié en fin de vie. On pourrait croire que le portrait constitue le point d'intérêt, mais s'il l'est bel et bien sur le plan narratif, il ne l'est pas sur le plan pictural. Cette place revient plutôt à la grande oie blanche qui domine l'espace et embrasse pratiquement toute la surface, en entourant le visage de Riopelle. Sa blancheur, fortement texturée, focalise les différentes parties de l'oeuvre et devient le centre où tout converge. Cette oeuvre est aussi une célébration de la palette de Riopelle qui comprenait souvent, dans cette période, des harmonies particulièrement puissantes en magenta-rouge et des bleus francs. Ce qui s'explique par l'utilisation de l'aérosol. Gaudreau utilise aussi ce médium, mais à sa façon, sans les pochoirs qu'affectionnait Riopelle dans sa dernière période de production.