Marcel Barbeau
La piedmontaise
1988
crédit photo: Ville de Montréal, 2019
Presentation of the artwork
La Piedmontaise is a sculpture composed of two arched strips of red-painted metal attached side by side to a cement base. Two more strips of steel, bent in the other direction and affixed to the arches, describe a large curve opening to the sky. The grouping as a whole forms an ensemble of fluid lines.As viewers move around the artwork, which is presented in the outdoor site of the Musée de Lachine, they can fully appreciate the fluid lines of these curvilinear forms. The free gesturality perceptible in this artwork is closely linked to that in the artist’s drawings, especially his artworks produced during his performances with dancers.
Associated events
The title of the artwork, La Piedmontaise, is a reference to the place where it was created: Piedmont, a municipality in the Laurentian region of Québec. The artwork was on display in the town until 1989, when Jacques Laferrière donated it to the Ville de Lachine.
Marcel Barbeau
Marcel Barbeau was born in Montréal and studied furniture design at the École du meuble de Montréal. There, he met Paul-Émile Borduas, his drawing professor, and he attended Borduas’s studio from 1944 to 1953. At the time, Barbeau was participating in the activities of the Automatists, and he was one of the signatories of the Refus global in 1948.
Mainly a painter and sculptor, Barbeau was among the first artists in Canada to explore expressionism. His artworks have been on display in North America, Europe, and North Africa and are in numerous public and private collections.
Mainly a painter and sculptor, Barbeau was among the first artists in Canada to explore expressionism. His artworks have been on display in North America, Europe, and North Africa and are in numerous public and private collections.
Awards and honours
- Prix du Gouverneur général en arts visuels et arts médiatiques du Conseil des Arts du Canada, 2013
- Cinquième Prix de Peinture, 3ième Biennale d’art contemporain, Florence, Italie , 2001
- Réception à l'Académie royale des arts du Canada, 1993
- Prix Zack Académie royale du Canada, 1964
