Les Automatistes
Encyclopedia
Les Automatistes were a group of Québécois
artistic dissidents from Montreal
, Quebec
. The movement was founded in the early 1940s by painter Paul-Émile Borduas
. "Les Automatistes" were so called because they were influenced by Surrealism
and its theory of automatism
. Members included Marcel Barbeau
, Roger Fauteux
, Claude Gauvreau
, Jean-Paul Riopelle
, Pierre Gauvreau
, Fernand Leduc
, Jean-Paul Mousseau
, and Marcelle Ferron
and Françoise Sullivan.
The movement may have begun with an exhibition Borduas gave in Montreal in 1942. However, "les Automatistes" were soon being exhibited in Paris
and New York
also. Though it began as a visual arts group, it also spread to other forms of expression, such as drama, poetry and dance. The title "les Automatistes" came from journalist Tancrède Marcil Jr., in a review of their second exhibit in Montreal (February 15 to March 1, 1947), which appeared in Le Quartier Latin (the Université de Montréal
's student journal).
In 1948, Borduas
published a collective manifesto
called the Refus global
, which is considered an important document in the cultural history of Quebec. Although the group dispersed soon after the manifesto was published, the movement continues to have influence, and may be considered forerunners of the Quiet Revolution
.
in an episode entitled Artist in Montreal.
French-speaking Quebecer
French-speaking Quebecers are francophone residents of the Canadian province of Quebec....
artistic dissidents from Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. The movement was founded in the early 1940s by painter Paul-Émile Borduas
Paul-Émile Borduas
Paul-Émile Borduas was a Canadian painter known for his abstract paintings. He was also an activist for the separation of church and state, especially for art, in Quebec.- Biography :...
. "Les Automatistes" were so called because they were influenced by Surrealism
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
and its theory of automatism
Surrealist automatism
Automatism has taken on many forms: the automatic writing and drawing initially practiced by surrealists can be compared to similar, or perhaps parallel phenomena, such as the non-idiomatic improvisation of free jazz....
. Members included Marcel Barbeau
Marcel Barbeau
Marcel Barbeau, OC is a Canadian artist.Born in Montreal, Quebec, he studied with Paul-Émile Borduas. He completed 'Foret vierge' , which is now in a private collection....
, Roger Fauteux
Roger Fauteux
Roger Fauteux was a member of Quebec artistic dissident group Les Automatistes in the late 1940s. However, he was not a signatory to the group's manifesto, Refus global....
, Claude Gauvreau
Claude Gauvreau
Claude Gauvreau , was a Quebec playwright, poet and polemicist born in Montreal.Gauvreau did classical studies at the Collège Sainte-Marie, and graduated with a B.A in Philosophy from Université de Montréal....
, Jean-Paul Riopelle
Jean-Paul Riopelle
Jean-Paul Riopelle, was a painter and sculptor from Quebec, Canada.-Biography:Born in Montreal, he studied under Paul-Émile Borduas in the 1940s and was a member of Les Automatistes movement. He was one of the signers of the Refus global manifesto...
, Pierre Gauvreau
Pierre Gauvreau
Pierre Gauvreau was a Québécois painter who has also worked in film and television productions.He was born in Montreal, and studied at the École des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, today part of UQAM...
, Fernand Leduc
Fernand Leduc
Fernand Leduc is a Canadian abstract expressionist painter who was a major figure in the Quebec contemporary art scene in the 1940s and 1950s. During his 50-year career, Leduc has participated in many expositions in Canada, France and other countries...
, Jean-Paul Mousseau
Jean-Paul Mousseau
Jean-Paul Mousseau was a Quebec artist He was a student of Paul-Émile Borduas and a member of the Automatist school. He was a founding member of the Association on Non-Figurative Artists of Montreal...
, and Marcelle Ferron
Marcelle Ferron
Marcelle Ferron, , a Québécoise painter and stained glass artist, was a major figure in the Quebec contemporary art scene....
and Françoise Sullivan.
The movement may have begun with an exhibition Borduas gave in Montreal in 1942. However, "les Automatistes" were soon being exhibited in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
also. Though it began as a visual arts group, it also spread to other forms of expression, such as drama, poetry and dance. The title "les Automatistes" came from journalist Tancrède Marcil Jr., in a review of their second exhibit in Montreal (February 15 to March 1, 1947), which appeared in Le Quartier Latin (the Université de Montréal
Université de Montréal
The Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal...
's student journal).
In 1948, Borduas
Paul-Émile Borduas
Paul-Émile Borduas was a Canadian painter known for his abstract paintings. He was also an activist for the separation of church and state, especially for art, in Quebec.- Biography :...
published a collective manifesto
Manifesto
A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. Manifestos relating to religious belief are generally referred to as creeds. Manifestos may also be life stance-related.-Etymology:...
called the Refus global
Refus Global
Le Refus global, or Total Refusal, was an anti-establishment and anti-religious manifesto released on August 9, 1948 in Montreal by a group of sixteen young Québécois artists and intellectuals that included Paul-Émile Borduas and Jean-Paul Riopelle....
, which is considered an important document in the cultural history of Quebec. Although the group dispersed soon after the manifesto was published, the movement continues to have influence, and may be considered forerunners of the Quiet Revolution
Quiet Revolution
The Quiet Revolution was the 1960s period of intense change in Quebec, Canada, characterized by the rapid and effective secularization of society, the creation of a welfare state and a re-alignment of politics into federalist and separatist factions...
.
Media
In 1954, the Automatistes were the subject of the NFB/CBC documentary series On the SpotOn the Spot (Canadian TV series)
On the Spot was the first television series made specifically for TV by the National Film Board of Canada, which aired on CBC Television for two seasons from 1953 to 1954. Each episode reported on a different aspect of life in Canada...
in an episode entitled Artist in Montreal.
External links
- Text of Le Refus global (in French)
- The Automatists and the Book by Michel Brisebois on Le Refus global as a printed book.
- CBC Digital Archives - Le Refus global: Revolution in the Arts
- Artist in Montreal a 1954 National Film Board of CanadaNational Film Board of CanadaThe National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
documentary - Time Article on Borduas and Le Refus global