THE CALL OF THE NORTHERN LANDSCAPES AND INDIGINOUS CULTURES
Until September 12, 2021
Jean Paul Riopelle (1923-2002), a major Quebec and Canadian artist, is internationally acclaimed as a prominent figure in modern art. This exhibition, based on original research, explores the artist’s interest in North and Indigenous cultures. On view are nearly 160 works and more than 150 artefacts as well as archival documents. The exhibition sheds new light on the artist’s work during the 1950s and 1970s by retracing his travels and influences that led to his fascination with Canadian northern regions and the North American Indigenous communities.
The exhibition reveals Riopelle’ interest in non-Western arts, as inspired by his friend and collector Georges Duthuit and the writings of anthropologists and ethnologists such as Marius Barbeau, Jean Malaurie and Claude Lévi-Strauss.
It explores the influence of Riopelle’s hunting and fishing trips with seaplane owner Dr. Champlain Charest in the North and Far North of Quebec and Canada during the 1970s, as evidenced in the Jeux de ficelles (1971-1972), Rois de Thulé (1973) and Icebergs (1977) series. Using an intercultural approach, the exhibition offers a novel parallel between Riopelle’s creations and some of the sources that inspired him, in particular a selection of Inuit masks and works of Pacific Northwest coast First Nations.
Following a path that is both chronological and thematic, the exhibition includes nearly 110 works by Riopelle (paintings, sculptures and works on paper) from the MMFA’s collection and some 30 institutional and private collections in Canada, the United States and France. Of special interest is the unveiling of two recently restored major works: the monumental sculpture La Fontaine (circa 1964-1977), displayed for the first time, as well as the imposing canvas Point de rencontre
(1963), the artist’s sole commissioned work, previously exhibited at the Opéra Bastille in Paris. Also on display is a 1946 watercolour by Riopelle that belonged to André Breton; a little-known series of remarkable works on silver-point paper; and several major works, including Blizzard Sylvestre (1953), L’étang – Hommage à Grey Owl (1970), D’un long voyage (1973) and Pangnirtung (1977). Artifacts and an extensive selection of documents (correspondence, publications, photographs and videos) help contextualize the artist’s work.
This exhibition is not to be missed!
Visit the the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts website to check on the opening hours and to purchase your ticket online.
