Armand Vaillancourt
Rectangle
1965
Presentation of the artwork
On display near the Insectarium in the Montréal Botanical Garden, Rectangle is a vertically oriented rectangular block of concrete whose two main faces present a variety of textures and motifs.With the addition of pieces of glass, natural stones, metal rods and other items, as well as the subtraction of material, a heterogeneous surface is formed. The letters, numbers, circles, and industrial motifs thus formed carve into the concrete form a sentence without a verb that evokes both infinite semantic possibilities and the types of intervention possible with this material.
The artwork also gives glimpses of the artist’s gestures and interventions with the materials. These imprints refer to the performative dimension of creativity, which is an important aspect of Vaillancourt’s work.
Associated events
The artwork was presented at Confrontation 65, an international sculpture exhibition held at the Montréal Botanical Garden in July and August 1965. The event, the goal of which was to establish closer ties between the public and artists, was organized by the Association des sculpteurs du Québec, in partnership with the Salon de la jeune sculpture in France. 
© Armand Vaillancourt / CARCC Ottawa 2023
Crédit photo: Guy L'Heureux, 2013
Armand Vaillancourt
Born in Black Lake, this Québec artist was trained at the University of Ottawa and the École des beaux-arts de Montréal in the 1950s and is known for having upset well-established traditions in Québec, notably through his political engagement and his sculptural work.
Vaillancourt’s long and prolific career has featured by large-scale projects in the public space, including L'humain, a sculpture commissioned by the École des arts et métiers d’Asbestos (1963); Québec libre!, a fountain sculpture for San Francisco’s Embarcadero (1971); and Justice!, an anti-apartheid artwork executed for the Palais de justice de Québec (1983).
Vaillancourt’s long and prolific career has featured by large-scale projects in the public space, including L'humain, a sculpture commissioned by the École des arts et métiers d’Asbestos (1963); Québec libre!, a fountain sculpture for San Francisco’s Embarcadero (1971); and Justice!, an anti-apartheid artwork executed for the Palais de justice de Québec (1983).
Awards and honours
- Chevalier, Ordre national du Québec, 2004
- Artiste pour la Paix, Artistes pour la Paix, 1994
- prix Paul-Émile-Borduas, 1993
- 1961-1963, premier prix, Salon du Printemps, Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, 1961
- prix de la jeune sculpture canadienne, 1959
- premier prix, Hadassah, Montréal (aussi en 1959, 1962, 1966), 1958
Presentation of the artwork
On display near the Insectarium in the Montréal Botanical Garden, Rectangle is a vertically oriented rectangular block of concrete whose two main faces present a variety of textures and motifs.With the addition of pieces of glass, natural stones, metal rods and other items, as well as the subtraction of material, a heterogeneous surface is formed. The letters, numbers, circles, and industrial motifs thus formed carve into the concrete form a sentence without a verb that evokes both infinite semantic possibilities and the types of intervention possible with this material.
The artwork also gives glimpses of the artist’s gestures and interventions with the materials. These imprints refer to the performative dimension of creativity, which is an important aspect of Vaillancourt’s work.
Associated events
The artwork was presented at Confrontation 65, an international sculpture exhibition held at the Montréal Botanical Garden in July and August 1965. The event, the goal of which was to establish closer ties between the public and artists, was organized by the Association des sculpteurs du Québec, in partnership with the Salon de la jeune sculpture in France.
Armand Vaillancourt
Born in Black Lake, this Québec artist was trained at the University of Ottawa and the École des beaux-arts de Montréal in the 1950s and is known for having upset well-established traditions in Québec, notably through his political engagement and his sculptural work.
Vaillancourt’s long and prolific career has featured by large-scale projects in the public space, including L'humain, a sculpture commissioned by the École des arts et métiers d’Asbestos (1963); Québec libre!, a fountain sculpture for San Francisco’s Embarcadero (1971); and Justice!, an anti-apartheid artwork executed for the Palais de justice de Québec (1983).
Vaillancourt’s long and prolific career has featured by large-scale projects in the public space, including L'humain, a sculpture commissioned by the École des arts et métiers d’Asbestos (1963); Québec libre!, a fountain sculpture for San Francisco’s Embarcadero (1971); and Justice!, an anti-apartheid artwork executed for the Palais de justice de Québec (1983).
Awards and honours
- Chevalier, Ordre national du Québec, 2004
- Artiste pour la Paix, Artistes pour la Paix, 1994
- prix Paul-Émile-Borduas, 1993
- 1961-1963, premier prix, Salon du Printemps, Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, 1961
- prix de la jeune sculpture canadienne, 1959
- premier prix, Hadassah, Montréal (aussi en 1959, 1962, 1966), 1958
