Gerard Demers. Sculptor. Wood carver. Levis, Quebec. Active mid-20th century.

Gerard Demers was a primitive artist who worked with ‘as found’ materials and colours. He used them to make people. They were beautifully coloured, always well dressed, and full of expression. His work was rarely, if ever, signed and they were sold at local flea markets. His ‘people’ had great charm and have been collected widely; both privately and by museums.

Ref: Adrien Levasseur. Website. And:  Sculpteurs en Art Populaire au Quebec,Editions GID, Quebec. 2012.

Alfred Desgagne. Sculptor. Wood carver. Ile-aux-Coudres, Quebec. Active mid-20th century.

Alfred Desgagne was a primitive wood carver. He made naive carvings of religious and historical figures – including a life-sized figure of Jacques Cartier – and also people at their every day lives. Most of these were made for display in his yard. He made furniture  as well to his own design and models of windmills and a working sized outdoor bread oven.  His work was rarely seen coloured or signed. Alfred Desgagnes was first mentioned in ‘Les Patenteux’.

Ref: Les Patenteux du Qubec. Louise de Grosbois, Raymonde Lamothe and Lise Nantel, Les Editions Parti Pris, Montreal, 1978.

Ref: Adrien Levasseur. Website. And:  Sculpteurs en Art Populaire au Quebec,Editions GID, Quebec. 2012.

Ref: Jean Simard, Pour Passer Le Temps: Artistes Populaires Du Quebec, Gouvernement du Quebec, Ministere des Affaires Culturelles.1985.

Ref: Blake McKendry, An Illustrated Companion to Canadian Folk Art (1999).