Prudent Vianneau. Sculptor. Woodcarver. Tabusintac, New Brunswick. Active last quarter 20th century.
Prudent Vianneau carved birds and mounted them on Black Spruce saplings and wooden dory models among other settings. His color pallet was always primary colors and white. Mr Vianneau was the last of the Vianneau folk artists from the Tabusintac area. The Vianneaus were makers of decoys and decorative bird carvings from about the middle of the 19th century. Tabusintac is on the New Brunswick shore in the Acadian Peninsula.
Born in the 1930’s; Prudent Vianneau carved over a period of fifteen years and was forced to retire around 2003 by ill health. He kept his yard full of Birds; Trees, Boats and Gulls on iron rods. Every Spring he would repaint them. His bird assemblies were striking and very intuitive and are in public and private collections around Canada and the U.S.
An example of his work in red and yellow:
(As we can see, his birds are flat-plane carvings and done in three pieces)
Prudent Vianneau. Tabusintac, New Brunswick.
Another setting of his birds:
Prudent Vianneau. Sculptor. Tabusintac New Brunswick.
Another example. Birds on a paddle:
Prudent Vianneau. Tabusintac New Brunswick. Wood carving. Birds on a Paddle.
Prudent Vianneau. A Yard Bird. (Sea Gull on an iron shaft):
Prudent Vianneau. Tabusintac, New Brunswick. Seagull. About 24 inches long.
