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RACAR : Revue d'art canadienne Canadian Art Review

Exhibitions, Manifestos, and the Seventieth Anniversary of Refus global Ray Ellenwood

Volume 44, Number 1, 2019

URI: https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1062156ar DOI: https://doi.org/10.7202/1062156ar

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Publisher(s) UAAC-AAUC (University Art Association of Canada | Association d'art des universités du Canada)

ISSN 0315-9906 (print) 1918-4778 (digital)

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Cite this review Ellenwood, R. (2019). Review of [Exhibitions, Manifestos, and the Seventieth Anniversary of Refus global]. RACAR : Revue d'art canadienne / Canadian Art Review, 44(1), 99–105. https://doi.org/10.7202/1062156ar

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Ray Ellenwood

August 8, 2018, was the 70th anniver- sary of the publication of Refus global, the manifesto of a multi-disciplin- ary group of Montreal artists called the Automatists, widely recognized as important avant-garde figures in the history of Canadian modern- ism. The story of the manifesto and its reception is quite well known : immediate official and public reac- tion was strongly negative because the manifesto was seen as danger- ously anti-clerical.1 Gradually, how- films, performances — commemor- Automatism : François-Marc Gagnon.5 ever, Refus global and the activities of ating Refus global and its adherents to The gathering heard presentations the group came to be recognized as the extent that some commentators on Gagnon and his work from speak- constituting a crucial moment in the have complained of “occultation.”2 ers such as Dominic Hardy, Laurier cultural history of the province. In Over the years, celebrations of the Lacroix, and Louise Vigneault. 1959 and 1960, the periodical Situa- group and its manifesto have been I did not attend those events, but tions began the process of redemp- at times personal and intimate, at what follows is a brief account of tion by publishing a special number times more academic, and at times some others I was able to witness dur- entitled “Refus global : dix ans après,” highly public, government-spon- ing 2018, mostly in Montreal and Que- followed by a posthumous celebra- sored and elaborate.3 The year 2018 bec, but also in Toronto. The observa- tion of the mentor of the group, vis- was no exception, especially in Que- tions are not objective (since I was an ual artist Paul-Émile Borduas. Ten bec, where the anniversary still has occasional participant) or complete years later, in August, 1969, La barre considerable meaning. Besides the (since my visits were limited in time du jour published an important spe- several exhibitions I am about to while relevant events often took place cial number entitled Les automatistes, describe, there was a series of lec- over many days), but they can give with texts by and on the movement, tures by Gilles Lapointe, professor at some idea of the continuing impact the manifesto itself, and some of the l’Université du Québec à Montréal, of the Automatist manifesto on the signatories. No doubt stimulated by a prolific writer and editor of texts way its signatories are presented as these anniversary celebrations, an relating to Automatism. These were artists, especially in Quebec. Gener- exhibition entitled “Borduas et les truly downtown events, with sell-out ally speaking, an invocation of the automatistes, Montréal 1942–1955,” crowds despite a significant admis- Automatist past could be a benefit to opened in October, 1971, at the Gal- sion fee. The titles : « Borduas à vis- eries Nationales du Grand Palais in age découvert, » « Les echos de Refus Above Exhibition Marcel Barbeau en mouvement, Paris and moved to the Musée d’art global d’hier à aujourd’hui, » and « Les Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, contemporain in Montreal in Janu- femmes et Refus global, » were obvious- from October 11, 2018 to January 6, 2019. View ary of 1972. Following these first ly in keeping with anniversary cele- of entrance to the Pierre Lassonde Pavilion with Barbeau sculpture, Chant d’amours, signs of broad, even international brations.4 Lapointe also took part in a 1990 (produced in 2018). Painted steel, recognition, every ten years for day-long colloquium and celebration 427 × 594 × 564 cm. Coordinator : Martin almost half a century we have come of the man who has been, no doubt, Brisson, sculpteur. Production : Industries Océan, in collaboration with Fondation to expect various kinds of celebra- the single most influential figure Marcel Barbeau. © Succession Marcel tions — exhibitions, publications, among researchers and writers on Barbeau/SODRAC (2019) Photo : Damien Gillot.

racar 44 (2019) 1 : 99–122 99 ⇢ Exhibitions, Manifestos, and the Seventieth Anniversary of Refus global swimming beneath the surface, giv- reflecting light in very subtle ways. ing the lie to any notion of stability Some weeks later, a large and the artist-signatories of Refus global, in colour or light. Interspersed with sumptuous retrospective entitled especially as their history and the the paintings in this exhibition were Marcel Barbeau : En mouvement opened at manifesto became better known. But quotations printed on the walls from the Musée national des beaux-arts du at times, as their methods changed letters written by Nicolas de Staël Québec.7 We were told in the exhib- and they moved away from the prac- (an artist whom Leduc admired but ition notes that this was the most tices of the 1940s, an emphasis on never met), all relevant to de Staël’s important retrospective ever shown retrospection could be seen as a dis- fascination with light and colour, and of the artist’s work, a statement that traction from their current work. This all relating astonishingly to the art- hints at how Barbeau has not been possible tension was never far from works and musings of Leduc himself. treated generously over the years by the surface in the exhibitions I vis- Nothing in the exhibition directly public galleries in Quebec and the rest ited. To establish a point of contrast, evokes the history of Automatism, or of Canada. Of all the painter-signator- we might begin with some where the of Leduc’s place therein. The subject ies of Refus global, he may be the least Automatist histories of the artists here is the sublimity of light, which represented in art museums of his were scarcely mentioned. may have been Leduc’s main obses- home province. Perhaps as a result, sion from the beginning but was this was a very earnest exhibition, Solo Exhibitions most obviously so in his later works. a teaching moment in art history, La tendresse des nuages was a show As if to show how the subject is any- focussed on the development of the mainly of works by Fernand Leduc at thing but new, the gallery included painter’s ideas and methods over time, Galerie Catalogue in Montreal from an “Annunciation” done in 1505 by with scant attention paid to biograph- August to November.6 It was a fine dis- the Dutch painter Jan Provoost, with ical or contextual/historical details play of paintings and pastels from the delicate renderings of material and (the catalogue makes up for this with 1950s through 2008, showing the end spiritual light. Hanging just across its various essays on the artist and an period of Leduc’s gestural work (the a corner of the room was a piece by excellent illustrated chronology). style usually associated with the early Leduc I found particularly attractive : a Something this exhibition showed history of Automatism), through the medium-sized work entitled Souvenir. very well is the alternation between more structured “pavés,” where col- Impression Carrara (1987), an oil pastel moments of abandon and control our is laid on in quite large, balanced on canvas. Leduc did a considerable in Barbeau’s work. There are the areas, and into the “microchromies” number of oil pastels on paper that Automatist works of the mid-1940s of the 1970s, where such structures are among his most popular works, and 1950s, recognized as perhaps are covered by layer upon layer of but few pastels on canvas. This one is the most advanced experiments very thin colour until a desired tone predominantly white, with delicate in all-over gestural painting of the is reached. These monochromes are tinting from under-colours and a rich time. This changes to a more con- deceptive because each work res- texture provided by both the canvas trolled minimalism in the 1960s with onates with cool or warm shades surface and the all-over, fine strokes a sometimes calligraphic line, fol- lowed by compositions with large areas of black and white confronting and balancing each other, unmoving. Then comes the period of meticulous works using colour and line bent to create optical movement, followed by carefully constructed and col- oured formed canvases. The kinetic

Left. Exhibition Marcel Barbeau en mouvement, Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, from October 11, 2018 to January 6, 2019. Foreground : La puissance de l’espoir, 1985. Painted steel, 114.3 × 121 × 63 cm. Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec collection, donation of Esperanza Schwartz (1988.118). © Succession Marcel Barbeau/SODRAC (2019). Photograph : © MNBAQ, Idra Labrie. Background : filmed painting/performance by Marcel Barbeau, ca. 1975. Photo : Idra Labrie.

100 Reviews | Recensions Left. Exhibition Françoise Sullivan, chorégraphie de la matière, Galerie Simon Blais, Montreal, October 10, 2018. Foreground, Océan, 1968. Plexiglas and metal. Background, corner of a painting from the Damiers series (2018). Photo : Guy L’heureux. Bottom. Exhibition Les automatistes en trois temps, Galerie Michel Guimont, Quebec, from September 23 to October 23, 2018. Shown (L-R) are paintings by Fernand Leduc, Marcel Barbeau, Pierre Gauvreau. Photo : Galerie Michel Guimont.

brush in his hands, sweeping broad strokes onto a surface, accompanied by percussionists and fellow dancers. The setting of the new Pierre Lassonde Pavilion of the MNBAQ (which opened works, by the way, seemed to draw drawings of the late 1950s and early with the Mitchell/Riopelle exhibition many people, especially the young. 1960s, and Stockhausen’s music was at roughly this time last year)9 allowed Those works in turn were followed by playing softly where these drawings ample space for all the exuberant some very large drawings done with were shown. movement and colour of Barbeau’s long-handled brushes, some of them When Barbeau returned to gestur- work, and we were ushered in by a “performed” in public, followed by al painting about six years after his bright yellow, monumental sculp- the anaconstructions with their careful- kinetic period, he did so in the com- ture seventeen feet high and nine- ly composed and arranged geometric pany of dancers and musicians several teen feet wide, standing outside the shapes in bright colours set against a times, in places like Caen, Montreal, main doors of the pavilion facing the monochrome background, and the and Toronto.8 In the last of the spa- Grande Allée. Entitled Chant d’amour, “tachist” works of the later years. Of cious, imposing rooms housing this it was recently constructed after a course, such a quick overview is far exhibition viewers could study a very maquette made by Barbeau in 1990. too schematic and over-simplified, large black-and-white, exuberantly Of the eight exhibitions I saw, but these movements were unmistak- gestural drawing entitled Mouvement Françoise Sullivan (the renowned able and fascinating in the exhibition. du soir (1980), while looking past it choreographer/dancer and visual art- Rhythm and music were important through glass doors into a small room ist, now in her 95th year) was repre- threads uniting the various moods of showing two films (1976 and 1977) sented in all the group shows as well the show. Stockhausen was a major where the artist could be seen creat- as in two small solo exhibitions of her influence on Barbeau’s minimalist ing similar works, dancing with a long work that might almost have been

racar 44 (2019) 1 : 99–122 101 ⇢ Exhibitions, Manifestos, and the Seventieth Anniversary of Refus global Sullivan’s work at the Simon Blais Gal- the plexiglass coil and deep enough lery in Montreal would be restricted to to allow it to roll, given a small push, called satellite events to the large sculpture, but it also included three from side to side of the concavity. As it retrospective I will discuss later. The large, recent paintings, two from 2018, rolls, the tube sets off coloured lights first of these, entitled Sullivan at the evidence of Sullivan’s firm insistence that shine through it from each end, Modern, opened at the new modern. that some of her most recent works amusing the child in all of us. These toronto gallery and ran from Septem- be shown even in a retrospective con- earlier and smaller Sullivan exhib- ber 20 to November 17.10 The show text.12 The sculptures were mainly itions were a fine complement to the included a mini-overview of Sullivan’s plexiglass pieces from 1966–68 and major retrospective which arrived work, with the entrance hall of the metal pieces from 1967–70, the period at the Musée d’art contemporain de gallery showing early works includ- when Sullivan returned to visual art Montréal later in the year. ing photographs of the famous Danse after twenty years devoted to choreog- dans la neige (1948) and of conceptual raphy and dance. The metal sculptures Exhibitions Referencing the Group interventions in the Blasket Islands of ranged from harsh, angular pieces of and the Manifesto Ireland (1978), as well as a fine tondo rusted scrap metal, through painted In contrast to the exhibitions men- of 1980 and a pastel on paper of 1996, or polished round shapes held in deli- tioned so far, in which the history of both in dark tones and greys that cate equilibrium by angled armatures, Automatism played little or no part, showed well against rough concrete all in marked contrast to the softly there were others that made specific walls, while contrasting markedly rounded, clear or coloured waves reference to, even foregrounded, the with the bright works in succeeding or coils in plexiglass. It was remark- anniversary of Refus global. Among rooms. The main emphasis was on able how these brightly coloured them were two small exhibitions held paintings from 2005 to 2018, showing sculptures from the 1960s seemed to at the Simon Blais Gallery in Mont- Sullivan moving from the early monu- echo the most recent paintings. But real13 and the Michel Guimont Gallery mental monochromes, through frag- the biggest coup of the show was an in Quebec City.14 For Refus global : 70 ans, mentation of the space into irregular assemblage piece with a large, clear, the Blais gallery offered about twenty fields of colour in the Proportio series plexiglass coil about a metre long and works by Automatist painters from of 2015–16, to the surprising develop- twenty centimetres in diameter, rest- different periods — a varied selection ment of 2018, where multi-coloured, ing on a dark blue base approximately of mainly small pieces, some of which small rectangles begin to look like one meter cubed. A striking appar- (notably a set by Pierre Gauvreau) squares on a checker board, except atus that has not been shown before, had not been exhibited before. There that they are hand drawn and irregu- it was supposed to be in an exhib- were also a couple of display cases lar, warping slightly in places to give ition of minimalism at the Musée des with a thoughtful selection of docu- optical illusions of movement. All of beaux-arts in 1969 but was damaged in ments related to the movement. The this worked well against the indus- transport and has only recently been Michel Guimont Gallery also offered trial concrete walls and polished con- repaired. The dark blue metal base has a relatively small exhibition, suitable crete floors that reflected the paint- a concave top large enough to hold to the space available, but with large ings in fascinating ways.11 This was the only event in Toronto relevant to the Automatist anniversary, but here, as in the Leduc exhibition, the emphasis was on later work. Early his- tory was only hinted at. I had understood that another small exhibition of Françoise

Right. Exhibition Françoise Sullivan, Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal from October 20, 2018 to January 20, 2019. Paintings from the Vestiges (1992), Rouge (1997), and Damiers (2018) series. Photo : Richard-Max Tremblay. Facing page. Exhibition Françoise Sullivan, Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal from October 20, 2018 to January 20, 2019. Sculpture from circa 1960–1969. Photo : Richard-Max Tremblay.

102 Reviews | Recensions with brief biographical sketches. The exhibition itself was not highly attractive or visually memorable, but it may, in fact, have a broader and longer impact than the others I’ve described because of its placement in a corporate building where crowds of people pass every day, because of its use of large photographs and sound, and especially because of the twenty-page pamphlet (free) that reproduced photographs, biograph- ies, and brief chronologies included in the exhibition, making a printed record available to a potentially large, not necessarily museum-going, gen- eral public. We have been used to seeing the museums of Quebec, and even the National Gallery, present ambitions in wanting to present walls of the cavernous entry to this important group shows dedicated to works from early, middle, and late building hung large paintings from the Automatists on anniversary years, periods (hence the title : Les automa- various periods by Françoise Sulli- but there were none in 2018 (as distin- tistes en trois temps). The result was an van, Pierre Gauvreau, Marcelle Ferron, guished from the solo retrospectives overview of how these remarkable and Jean Paul Riopelle. Despite their discussed here). Was the Québecor artists, starting from roughly the size, they were difficult to see in this exhibition an attempt to fill that gap ? same place with roughly the same space where the lighting is not good. At this point it may seem like theories and techniques, went off This was especially true for a large, back-tracking to return to another in different directions and explored vertical Riopelle painting stuck on a exhibition on a single artist — the quite different modes. Standing in back wall near the elevators. To see Françoise Sullivan retrospective at the gallery, at a glance one could see the main exhibition, one proceeded the Musée d’art contemporain de remarkable changes in the work of left off the entry hall into a rela- Montréal16— but, as I will explain, each artist : how Barbeau, Leduc and tively small space, long and narrow, the theme of group manifestos was Mousseau moved in the direction of with display cases, small artworks made part of a broader programme more controlled, hard-edged, optical and photographs devoted essential- obviously intended to benefit from and colour-field effects while Bor- ly to a history of Refus global in the the local awareness of Refus global and duas, Riopelle and Ferron maintained context of 1948 Quebec. There were its anniversary. Before getting there, I the gestural quality of their work ; speakers softly playing voices such would like to give a sense of the part how Pierre Gauvreau played both as Thérèse Renaud (a performer and devoted to Sullivan herself, which, tendencies off against each other in writer, signatory of Refus global) read- although it was not huge in the quan- middle-period paintings ; how both ing from Borduas’ lead manifesto and tity of works shown, gave a thought- Riopelle and Gauvreau, late in their Françoise Sullivan reading from “La ful overview of the astonishing divers- lives, began using spray paint and a danse et l’espoir,” her contribution to ity of this artist’s expressions. Besides variety of objects as stencils, to very the publication. The artworks includ- the main halls showing paintings and different effect. There was talk about ed a delightful, small 1948 painting sculpture, along with videos of dance what a remarkable show it would be by Borduas and a set of drawings and other performances, there were if a large, public gallery could mount by Mousseau, Ferron, Barbeau and two important rooms on each side an exhibition based on the same idea, Gauvreau, flanked by a small water- of the main entrance. One had the but involving more works, and with colour each by Madeleine Arbour and customary display cases with printed no restrictions of scale. Françoise Riopelle, signatories not documents (invitations to exhib- More politically and socially his- known as visual artists. This was one itions, small posters, photographs, torical in flavour was the exhibition of the attractive qualities of the exhib- artist’s notes), as well as an intelli- Refus global, 70 ans mounted in the ition : its inclusiveness. All the signa- gent half-hour documentary on Sul- entrance and the gallery of the offices tories of Refus global were represented livan done for Femme d’aujourd’hui on of Québecor, the huge Montreal in some way, at least through post- Radio-Canada television in 1979. This communications company.15 On the er-sized photographs accompanied room, and another full of screens

racar 44 (2019) 1 : 99–122 103 ⇢ Exhibitions, Manifestos, and the Seventieth Anniversary of Refus global a magnificent object in its own right, manifestos, showing them as out- a kind of over-sized Calder with per- dated verbiage in a socially, political- showing audio-visual documents formance possibilities on its mind. ly, and artistically changed world ? Is it mostly related to dance, as well as a At first glance, the Sullivan retro- just a dumbing down, attracting audi- long table with books for essential spective may appear to be an art- ences of popular culture (which it was reading, were examples of how the ist-specific exhibition, with min- certainly doing on the evening I was staff of the museum had worked to imal reference to Refus global and present) through the lure of film and present a wide range of information, the history of Automatism, but in a well-known star ? Is it complex and not always tidy, not always pretty, but fact the MACM came around to our complicated art cinema at its beauti- very informative for anyone willing to topic in a fascinating and surpris- ful best ? Such questions are beyond take the time. One could stand in the ing way, by running two exhibitions the scope of this article, but there is middle of that video room and watch simultaneously with the Sullivan one we might ask : what did it all have three versions of Sullivan’s early chor- retrospective, each relating to mani- to do with Refus global, the Automa- eography, Dédale, danced by three festos written internationally over tist movement, and the retrospective dancers over thirty years ; or an entire 150 years. The first was a reprise of next door ? On the face of things, not set of early dances by Sullivan and a 2015 video installation by German much. In 2015, Rosefeldt had likely Jeanne Renaud, performed in 1988 artist Julian Rosefeldt, entitled Mani- never heard of an avant-garde in Que- as part of the fortieth anniversary festo.17 Entering into a large, darkened bec. He certainly made no reference of Refus global ; or a film of Luis Jacob room, spectators were confronted to any in Manifesto. Hence the need romping mostly naked in the snow, with a grouping of 13 two-sided for a kind of bridging exhibition to performing A Dance for Those of us Whose screens, each with a bench in front, form a conceptual and physical link Hearts Have Turned to Ice (2007), in hom- with room to move freely from one between Sullivan and Rosefeldt. This age to (or parody of ?) the famous to the other. All showed what might was the rôle of Partitions,18 an “expos- Danse dans la neige. be called vignettes, each involving ition documentaire” that showed The main halls provided an over- the actress Cate Blanchette in various not only hard copy originals of most view of the artist’s work from figura- lushly-filmed situations, costumes, of the manifestos (often beautiful tive portraits done in the early 1940s, and settings while she or a voice-over objects in their own right) referenced through the round, unstretched can- recited fragments from manifestos in Rosefeldt’s installation, but also vas tondos and the figurative return in written by social activists or artists Refus global with Sullivan’s contribu- the 1980s, to the monochromes of the from Marx to Lars von Trier by way tion, “La danse et l’espoir,” along new century and eventually the large of Dada, Futurism, Surrealism, Situ- with local offerings such as Prisme checker-boards of colour done in the ationism and Fluxus, to name a few. d’yeux (a rival statement by Pellan, past few months. Along with these, The relationship between word and de Tonnancour and others), as well and the sculpture, were photographs image, text and action, was as puz- as later pronouncements by such and constructions and films relating zling and disturbing as were the ori- groups as the Plasticiens. One could to her conceptual period of the 1970s, ginal manifestos. For example, in actually walk from the Sullivan retro- a part of her work only recently getting the scene identified with Situation- spective through the Partitions corri- the attention it deserves. For example, ist manifestos, Blanchett is a home- dor and into the audio-visual world of I was pleased to watch a short film I less man dragging his belongings Manifesto — or vice versa, as the spirit had missed : Dégrangolade, showing through a desolate cityscape of gar- moved. In the final analysis, it was a the blocking and unblocking of win- bage and ruined buildings ; in the richly varied experience that broad- dows during an intervention with scene identified with film, she is a ened the context of each part. David More on the Blasket islands of teacher in a classroom of children Looking back over what I witnessed west Ireland in 1978. But in this pleth- writing an exam ; in the one identi- in 2018, it’s fascinating to note how ora, the piece I found most exciting fied with Fluxus, Merz, and perform- different events bounced off and com- was the Rideau sonore (2 × 5 metres) that ance, she is a choreographer with a plemented each other — for example, Sullivan created for a choreography Russian accent putting futuristic dan- how the Barbeau and Sullivan retro- by Jeanne Renaud in 1965. I had seen cers through their paces ; in another, spectives resonated with the smaller pictures of Renaud and Peter Bone- she is a female maker of marion- group shows that were happening ham moving through and among ettes, and she holds one resembling almost simultaneously. I have no the multi-shaped hanging metal herself as she speaks fragments from doubt that an important energizing pieces that provided the acoustics for the Surrealist manifestos. What to force behind all this was the continu- this dance — but I had never seen the make of this ? What is Rosefeldt doing ing relevance of the history of Automa- iron curtain itself, since it had been with the texts he invokes, and what tism for Montrealers. I only wish there stored for more than fifty years. It is is his intention ? Is this a mockery of were a similar élan in Toronto. ¶

104 Reviews | Recensions Ray Ellenwood, Professor Emeritus and Senior 16. Françoise Sullivan, Musée d’art contempor- of feminist political and cultural Scholar at York University in Toronto, is an award- ain de Montréal, October 20, 2018 to January 20, agitation ? winning translator and author of Egregore : A History 2019. Curator : Mark Lanctôt. 286-page catalogue. of the Montréal Automatist Movement. In 1998, he 17. Julian Rosefeldt, Manifesto. October 20, While this question forms the crux organized a symposium, exhibition, and concert 2018 to January 20, 2019. Curator : Lesley John- of the text, successive chapters elab- at York University to celebrawte the fiftieth stone. No catalogue. orate an extended discourse analysis anniversary of Refus global, and he continues 18. Partitions, October 20, 2018 to January to write and publish extensively about the 20, 2019. Curator : François LeTourneux. No of how international critical acclaim Automatistes. catalogue. has embraced Vancouver photo-con- — [email protected]

1. For a much more detailed account than I can offer here, see Sophie Dubois, Refus global, His- Leah Modigliani toire d’une réception partielle (Montréal : Les presses Engendering an Avant-Garde : de l’université de Montréal, 2017), or François- The Unsettled Landscapes of Vancouver Marc Gagnon’s Chronique du mouvement automatiste québécois, 1941–1954 (Montréal : Lanctôt Éditeur, Photo-Conceptualism 1998). Manchester : Manchester University 2. See, for example, Philippe Dubé, « Quand Press, 2018 le culte occulte, » Le Devoir, July 8, 1998. 3. As a sign of the general acceptance of Refus 296 pp. 41 b/w illus. global as a historically important document, con- £ 80 (hardcover) ISBN 9781526101198 sider the fact that Françoise Sullivan, one of the signatories, was invited to read from the text dur- ing celebrations in Quebec City to mark the 250th anniversary of the battle of the Plains of Abraham Christine Conley (see Jérôme Delgado, “Borduas, héros oublié ?”, Le Devoir, February 20, 2010.) 4. Borduas, les femmes automatistes et Refus global, at the BAnQ Vieux-Montréal, September In Engendering an Avant-Garde, Leah ceptualism as a continuation of Euro- 11,18 and 25 from 13 :30 to 15 :30. Modigliani examines the absence pean investments in and perspectives 5. François-Marc Gagnon et l’histoire de l’art au of women artists in Vancouver on the modernist avant-garde — with Québec, held at the Musée de l’imprimerie du Québec on October 19, from 9 :00 to 14 :30. photo-conceptualism, from its incep- frequent analogies to nineteenth [Editor’s note : Professor Gagnon died March 28, tion in 1968 to its identification as the century French painting, for instance, 2019. See the memorial note in this issue.] “Vancouver School,” a global brand in the case of Jeff Wall — rather than 6. La tendresse des nuages (Fernand Leduc), Gal- erie Catalogue, Montréal, August 25 to November that emerged in early 1990s writing considering how the specificity of 10, 2018. Curator : Pierre Bourgie. about Jeff Wall and Ian Wallace and Vancouver production might illumin- 7. Marcel Barbeau : en mouvement, Musée nation- variously encompassed Ken Lum, ate the global possibilities for that al des beaux-arts du Québec, October 11, 2018 to January 6, 2019. Curator : Eve-Lynne Beaudry. Christos Dikeakos, Rodney Graham, project as a social process. Modigliani 240-page catalogue. Roy Arden, Arni Haraldsson, and Stan claims this exclusionary dynamic par- 8. This part of his work is well described Douglas. Modigliani positions this allels the “exclusionary structure of by Rober Racine in “Danser la peinture,” one of the essays included in the catalogue of the self-declared vanguard within a critic- settler colonial populations’ need to exhibition. al discourse generated by the likes of control territory,” hence her under- 9. Not surprisingly, that exhibition made Andreas Huyssen, Johanne Lamou- standing of art discourse as a “trans- little or no mention of Riopelle’s Automatist past, in part because he himself tended not to give it reux, T. J. Clark and Griselda Pollock, fer narrative” (17) linked specifically much importance, but also because it was not who have revealed how the historical here to the absence of local inhabit- relevant to the period of his relationship with avant-garde perpetuated patriarch- ants, including Indigenous peoples, Joan Mitchell. al privilege through dichotomous in the “defeatured” landscape of Van- 10. Françoise Sullivan, The modern.toronto, Toronto, September 20 to November 17, 2018. thinking (the feminine as alterity) couver photo-conceptualism. Curator : Paul Bradley. that situated “women or others as The first chapter focuses on Wall’s 11. We have since learned that this gallery is oppositional to the mission of a early transparencies Picture for Women closing, which is a shame because it was certainly an attractive exhibition space. self-selective male group identifica- (1979) and The Destroyed Room (1978) to 12. Françoise Sullivan, Galerie Simon Blais, tion.”(9) Her study considers how consider how the feminist content Montréal, October 10 to November 24, 2018. Cur- this dynamic was manifest in Van- of these works was overlooked due ator : Paul Bradley. No catalogue. 13. Refus global — 70ième anniversaire, Galerie couver photo-conceptualism. Male to the hegemony within art history Simon Blais, Montréal, September 6 to October 6, artists, consciously engaged with of “patriarchal experiences of pub- 2018. No catalogue. the concerns of the historical avant- lic space and theoretical knowledge 14. Les Automatistes en trois temps, Galerie Michel Guimont, Montréal, September 23 to Oc- garde, explored social alienation in production” (16) over feminist critical tober 23, 2018. 36-page catalogue. the urban landscape in the absence approaches, such as Laura Mulvey’s 15. Refus global : 70 ans, Québecor espace of female agency, yet maintained “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cin- musée, Montréal, October 2, 2018 to January 9, 2019. Curators : Simon Blais, Paul Bradley, Claude images of women in their work. How ema.” Reviewing analyses of these Gosselin. 24-page catalogue. did this happen during a period works by prominent critics Donald

racar 44 (2019) 1 : 99–122 105