Canadian Folk Art and Outsider Art
Imelda George. Sculptor. Woodcarver. Writer. Arichat, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Active late 20th century- .
Imelda George makes painted carvings of Angels, Santas and even a ‘Bird House’ chair. She is the author of a children’s book: “The House of Wooden Santas” which she illustrated with her carvings.
Ref: Major,Kevin,George and Pratt. The House of the Wooden Santas. Red Deer College Press, Alberta. 1997.
Ref: Blake McKendry, An Illustrated Companion to Canadian Folk Art (1999).
Julie Genge. Fabric artist. Rug Hooker. Deadman’s Cove, Newfoundland. Active early 20th century.
Julia Genge made hooked rugs with fabric on burlap to her own designs. She was cited in Lynch 1980.
Ref: C. Lynch. The Fabric of Their Lives; Hooked and Poked Mats of Newfoundland and Labrador. 1980.
Ref: Blake McKendry, An Illustrated Companion to Canadian Folk Art (1999).
Ernest Gendron. Painter. Montreal, Quebec. Active 1950 – .
Ernest Gendron was a self taught naive artist. After working as a lumberjack and as circus and carnival worker Gendron settled in Montreal in 1950 where he developed a style of enamel painting using wooden tooth picks and matchsticks as brushes. The artist virtually “sculpted paint”, applying layer after layer of colour. Gendron painted the people of his time; politicians, entertainers and ordinary Quebecers at their occupations.He was well recognized in the late 1960’s and 70’s but Gendron was fairly reclusive and seemed to avoid the spotlight. He was born in Saint-Marc-de-Carrieres, Quebec in 1912.
He was cited in La Vie des Arts in 1974 (see article below).
Ref: Leo Rosshandler, Vie des Arts, vol. 19, no. 75, 1974.
A link to the article on Erudit site. (French Language):
https://www.erudit.org/culture/va1081917/va1189715/57738ac.pdf
Ref: National Gallery of Canada. Artists in Canada. Union List of Artist’s Files.Ottawa. 1982.
Ref: Bihaji-MerinWorld Encyclopedia of Naïve Art. Scranton: Scala Philip/Wilson. 1985.
Ref: Lerner. and Williamson, Art and Architecture in Canada. A Bibliography …to 1981. University of Totonto Press. 1991.
Mr. Gandier. Sculptor. Woodcarver. Lindsay, Ontario. Active 1920’s.
Mr. Gandier is known for a naive painted ‘bas relief’ of a canoeing scene in Ontario. He was cited in ‘From the Heart’ 1983 (Pl. 78).
Ref: Ralph and Patricia Price. ‘Twas Ever Thus. Toronto. M.F. Feheley. 1979.
Ref: The Canadian Centre for Folk Culture Studies. From The Heart: Folk Art in Canada. McClelland and Stewart, Toronto. 1983.
Ref: Blake McKendry, An Illustrated Companion to Canadian Folk Art (1999).
Charles Gallipeau. Sculptor. Decoy carver. Innisville, Ontario. Active mid to late 20th century.
Charles Gallipeau carved hunting decoys. He is cited by the CCFCS in Hull.
Ref: Canadian Centre for Folk Culture Studies. Canadian Museum of Civilization. CCFCS
Ref: Blake McKendry, An Illustrated Companion to Canadian Folk Art (1999).
