Refus Global
Encyclopedia
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
.
Le Refus Global originated from a group called Les Automatistes
, led by Paul-Émile Borduas
. This group created abstract paintings inspired by French surrealists of the time and scorned all academic teaching available at the time in Quebec
. The signatories were also highly influenced by French poet André Breton's
stream-of-consciousness style and extolled the creative force of the subconscious.
Le Refus Global was a manifesto that completely rejected the social, artistic and psychological norms
and values of Québécois
society at the time. Calling for "an untamed need for liberation," the manifesto cried out for "resplendent anarchy" and criticized the "cassocks that have remained the sole repositories of faith, knowledge, truth, and national wealth." Pierre Gauvreau
, one of the signatories, said that the main message of the manifesto is that "God does not exist." Of the 400 published copies of Le Refus Global, selling for a dollar a piece, only about half of them were sold. Notwithstanding, this manifesto caused an uproar, and as a result of this manifesto, Borduas
lost his job at the Ecole du Meuble. Later, the manifesto was translated into different languages and was read in America and Europe.
It has been said by commentators that from the publication of this manifesto, "modern French Canada
began", while CBC
calls it "one of the most important and controversial artistic and social documents in modern Quebec society". Along with the publication of Les insolences du Frère Untel
(the Insolences of Brother So-and-so), the Asbestos miners' strike of 1949
, and the Maurice Richard Riot of 1955
, Le Refus Global is widely seen to have been one of the fundamental causes of the Quiet Revolution
.
Anti-establishment
An anti-establishment view or belief is one which stands in opposition to the conventional social, political, and economic principles of a society. The term was first used in the modern sense in 1958, by the British magazine New Statesman to refer to its political and social agenda...
and anti-religious
Religious skepticism
Religious skepticism is a type of skepticism relating to religion, but should not be confused with atheism. Religious skeptics question religious authority and are not necessarily anti-religious but are those skeptical of a specific or all religious beliefs or practices. Some are deists, believing...
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:...
released on August 9, 1948 in 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...
by a group of sixteen young Québécois
French-speaking Quebecer
French-speaking Quebecers are francophone residents of the Canadian province of Quebec....
artists and intellectuals that included 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 :...
and 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...
.
Le Refus Global originated from a group called Les Automatistes
Les Automatistes
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...
, led by 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 :...
. This group created abstract paintings inspired by French surrealists of the time and scorned all academic teaching available at the time in 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 signatories were also highly influenced by French poet André Breton's
André Breton
André Breton was a French writer and poet. He is known best as the founder of Surrealism. His writings include the first Surrealist Manifesto of 1924, in which he defined surrealism as "pure psychic automatism"....
stream-of-consciousness style and extolled the creative force of the subconscious.
Le Refus Global was a manifesto that completely rejected the social, artistic and psychological norms
Norm (sociology)
Social norms are the accepted behaviors within a society or group. This sociological and social psychological term has been defined as "the rules that a group uses for appropriate and inappropriate values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. These rules may be explicit or implicit...
and values of Québécois
French-speaking Quebecer
French-speaking Quebecers are francophone residents of the Canadian province of Quebec....
society at the time. Calling for "an untamed need for liberation," the manifesto cried out for "resplendent anarchy" and criticized the "cassocks that have remained the sole repositories of faith, knowledge, truth, and national wealth." 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...
, one of the signatories, said that the main message of the manifesto is that "God does not exist." Of the 400 published copies of Le Refus Global, selling for a dollar a piece, only about half of them were sold. Notwithstanding, this manifesto caused an uproar, and as a result of this manifesto, 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 :...
lost his job at the Ecole du Meuble. Later, the manifesto was translated into different languages and was read in America and Europe.
It has been said by commentators that from the publication of this manifesto, "modern French Canada
French Canada
French Canada, also known as "Lower Canada", is a term to distinguish the French Canadian population of Canada from English Canada.-Definition:...
began", while CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
calls it "one of the most important and controversial artistic and social documents in modern Quebec society". Along with the publication of Les insolences du Frère Untel
Les insolences du Frère Untel
Les insolences du Frère Untel is a book first published in Montreal by Les Editions de l'homme in 1960. In a very short time it sold more than 100,000 copies, in a society where a book with a 10,000 copy print run was considered a best seller...
(the Insolences of Brother So-and-so), the Asbestos miners' strike of 1949
Asbestos Strike
The Asbestos Strike of 1949, based in and around Asbestos, Quebec, Canada, was a four-month labour dispute by the asbestos miners. It has traditionally been portrayed as a turning point in Quebec history that helped lead to the Quiet Revolution...
, and the Maurice Richard Riot of 1955
Richard Riot
The Richard Riot was a riot on March 17, 1955 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The riot was named after Maurice Richard, the star ice hockey player for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League...
, Le Refus Global is widely seen to have been one of the fundamental causes 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...
.
Signatories
- Paul-Émile BorduasPaul-Émile BorduasPaul-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 :...
- Magdeleine Arbour
- Marcel BarbeauMarcel BarbeauMarcel 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....
- Bruno Cormier
- Claude GauvreauClaude GauvreauClaude 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....
- Pierre GauvreauPierre GauvreauPierre 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...
- Muriel Guilbault
- Marcelle FerronMarcelle FerronMarcelle Ferron, , a Québécoise painter and stained glass artist, was a major figure in the Quebec contemporary art scene....
- Fernand LeducFernand LeducFernand 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...
- Thérèse Leduc
- Jean-Paul MousseauJean-Paul MousseauJean-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...
- Maurice Perron
- Louise Renaud
- Françoise Riopelle
- Jean-Paul RiopelleJean-Paul RiopelleJean-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...
- Françoise Sullivan
External links
- English translation of Refus Global: Total Refusal
- Video: A Part of Our Heritage - Paul Émile Borduas