ln the summer of 1987, while 1 was visiting City, 1 first met Armand Vaillancourt as he was working . on Drapeau Blanc, a monumental sculptural environment composed of Dver 90 tons of calcite brought in from the Saguenay-Lac St. Jean region to the

University of Laval. He 5tood like a mythic play Twelfth Night "This is an art which creator with his long white hair and beard does mend nature: change it rather; but the blowing in the wind. He told me the work art itself is nature». In an adjacent room, not was dedicated to the people orthe world and far from an old piano, amid ail the disarray their life, to liberty and justice. On each of which spoke to me of Vaillancourt's ir· the large boulders which comprised the repressible creative spirit, was one of his piece, he carved in the writings of famous famous bois brulé, large scale wood scu lp· poets including Felix Leclerc, Gaston tures which date from 1953·1965. Enormous Miron, Simonne Monet·Chartand, andeven and ominously primevil these works made sorne children's writings. One of these, 1 from tree trunks still seem an invitation to remember, read, "1 do not want the snow, sorne earthly paradise, not tbat of Gauguin, the years and the cold to freeze my but a northem one, a world not yet created, memory." but somehow anticipated in Vaillancourt's Before entering into his studio on Iife's struggle. These works remain some of Esplanade St. in , with its view of the strongest works ever to be made in wood the mountain, one sees in the yard a large, as by a Canadian sculptor. Today tbey have yet uncarved imported African tree trunk. become rare collectors items, though less Not far away sitting beside sorne old oil weil known to the public in genera!. barrels three metal pieces with the words Tecbnically they were an innovation: after JUSTICE carved into them sit in restive carving witb a chain saw, and a gear and solitude, like the sculptor's talismans wooden drill, he would pour oil on them and intended to guard his studio. The actual let the tire bum around the desired section building has a roof which itself is theatrical of the piece, after which it was doused with and slightly comical like a grenadier's hat water. It was a kind of controlled modelling; with a pointed spire on top. the tire acted differently according to the Entering into Vaillancourt's studio the varied densities of the wood. tirst things 1 noticed were his sculpting 100ls Above ail, Vaillancourt's art has a that he had just taken out of his station tbeatrical aspect 10 il. The paradoxes present wagon; the large mallet covered in duct tape, in bis life and art stem from his insistent the adzes and chisels in a large bucket, the curiosity and spontaneity. And there is a vast array of materials, styrofoam, wood, contradiction between tbe public man, the metal and paper prints from his Manhole Don Quixote of Quebec's art scene, and tbe Series. Looking around, 1 could see a quiet, poetic soul which is at the centre of fascinating and diverse array of his works. mucb of bis art and of which we know very These induded his exquisite small bronzes little. Tbe mystical secret of Vaillancourt's cast in tbe lost wax tecbnique, sorne art cornes from his love of nature. He will paintings, a maquette for the controversial readily admit that it is his faith in nature project proposai" Je me Souviens" executed whicb has propelled bim into the future 1. EL CLAMOR. (Dominican Republic) for High Park in Toronto in 1967 (tbe same througbout his career. During the fifties he Stone, cement & steel. Détail. year he was awarded the prestigious spent nine months in the country living a life Photo: Robert Myre. Confederation Medal but refused tbe of monastic solitude to answer bis own 2. LA FONTA/NE DE . honour of acceptance and won the private questions about life's purpose. «The White concreie. water and vapour. Détai/. International Competition for a sculpture city makes us blind and makes us forget the Photo: Alex Primeau fountain in San Francisco), and several meaning of life. 1 discovered in solitude that 3. JUSTICE ET PAIX. (St. Léonard, Québec) larger important works in San Francisco), silence is the best of friends ... Calcite carved by sandblaster. and several larger important works in Throughout the years he has al ways Photo: Réal Capuano. bronze. There was even a cbild's swing, on worked for the betterment of society, and as 4. L'ENCLOS. (Rivière des Prairies, Québec) whicb Armand sat while talking somewhat he says, «A rt has an important role to play in Cut & painted Slee/. bemused. the collectivity, the society, and the artist Photo: Réal Capuano. ln one corner, 1 noticed sitting on a shelf conscious of this role must fulfill it with joy, a minute set of the works of the complete whatever happens in his own personallife or works of Shakespeare wbo wrote in the his work». 24· Ciao - settembre, 1989 Armand Vaillancourt's monumental sculpture fountain in in San Francisco remains his best known work internationally. 1n the tradition of Bernini's sculpture fountains in Rome, it occupies an imposing site in a piazza, a meeting place for the people of San Francisco. During the dedication ceremony in 197 1, the poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti read his works. The fountain whose massive rectangular concrele form seems to rise dramatically out of the water is now a major permanent landmark in the predominantly vertical setting of office buildings which surro und il. In 1953 he created "The Tree ofDurocher Street", his first major public work (now located in Ste. Foy, Quebec). It was then that Ossip Zadkine, the famous Russian sculptor associated with the early day of Cubism in Paris, kneh before Vaillancourt's sculpture excJaiming that it was the work of a master. He invited Vaillancourt to come to Paris and work in France. Vaillancourt continued to commit himself to working in Quebec for sites not only in the big cit ies but also in the smaller towns and villages. Vaillancourt himself,: .. 1 do not want to bea In 1961, for the International Festival of spectator in a world that is building itself. Contemporary Music in Montreal, Yoko My miss ion (as an anist) is to maintain the Ono used one o f Vaillancourt's musical spirit of man and to make it grow. Me, 1 environments for a recital of her poems, and must conquer matter to give it back iu John Cage who was performing at the freedo m in other for ms ... fes ti val called his wo rk incredible, John K. Grande astonishing. His works are in the most important public coll ections in Canada including the 5. LA GRANDE VO ÛT. Bronte. Musée des Beaux Arts du Canada, the Art PhOlO: Joanne Beaulieu. Gallery of Ontario, the Musée d'art 6. THÉODOLITE Casl iron. contemporain, the Musée des Beaux Arts de PhOlO: Robert Binelle. Montréal. They can al50 be seen at the 7. LA VOILE. Bronte & slainless sleel. Museum of Occidental Art in Tokyo. the PhOlO: Michel Dubreuil. Maison des Assemblées in Guernica, Spain, 8. CROISÉE DES C/IEMINS Bronze. and ln numerous private collections PhOIO: Michel Dubreuil. throughout the world. 9. IMPRESSION MARINE. Bronze. His output has not slowed down, and now Pholo: Robert Binelle. over 60 yea rs old, he continues to create 10. MUR DE FONTE. surprising works in a variety o f media. Pholo: Marc- André Gagné. Recently he has worked with children in 11. ARCHE DE TRIOMPHE. Bronte. Quebec's schools to help yet a new PhOlO: Michel Dubreuil. ~enerati o n develop an interest in creative 12. LUMIÈRE SUR BEETHOVEN. CaSl expression so impo rtant to the development cement & bronze. of a strong and vital culture. To quote Pholo: Michel Dubreuil. Ciao - scltembre, 1989 - 25