Maurice Hamel. Sculptor. Macamic, Quebec. Active 1970’s.

Maurice Hamel was a metal worker and mill wright who experimented with ‘as found metal parts and objects. He made a garage out of the ‘tops’ of cars and at least one tower in his yard that served to decorate and to hold his television antenna. He was published in Les Patenteux du Quebec.

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

Alphonse Frenette. Sculptor. Woodcarver. Pont-Rouge, Quebec. Active 1970’s-1980’s.

Alphonse Frenette was a naive artist. Most of his carvings were of animals, particularly farm animals. He seemed to delight in carving horses and made many carvings of horse-drawn farm equipment and sleighs. He also made architectural models of the houses found in his area of Quebec. He used ‘as found’ materials and colours in his sculptures and his work was always painted. He never signed his work. Alphonse Frenette was one of the artists featured in ‘Pour Passer le Temps’.

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

M. and Mme. Joseph Guay. Sculptors. Woodcarvers. La Malbaie, Quebec. Active mid 20th century.

Mr. and Mrs Joseph Guay worked together to fill their yard with painted works. Using ‘as found’ materials and colours, they made bird houses, birds and the occasional abstract assembly. They were first mentioned in Les Patenteux du Quebec.

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

Alphonse Grenier. Sculptor. Woodcarver. Saint-Jean-de-la-Lande, Beauce, Quebec. Active mid-20th century.

Alphonse Grenier made many things for his yard. He carved in the round and cut out figures of animals, birds and people and mounted them in a variety of ways. Some as whirligigs, some on wagon wheels and other spare parts that he found. He made full use of ‘as found’ elements in his work. Motorizing’ or mechanizing many of his assemblies and using old tools, iron bed parts, old jewelry and much more as decorative elements. All of his creations were painted in bright ‘as found’ oil colours. In his own worlds the world and it’s changes puzzled him and he expressed it in his art. His carvings, particularly in his yard were elegant and very joyful.

He also made many mechanical music boxes that he decorated with carvings of people in historical and domestic scenes. People at work, at play and occasionally on the run from the devil. He was very good at making them skip and dance using motors and gears from old record players. These ‘music box’ scenes are highly expressive. They form a strong commentary on Grenier’s world, both inner and outer. A retrospective on him and his world – in colour – would be fascinating and great fun.

He was first written about in Les Patenteux du Quebec where they devoted twelve pages to him and his work.

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

Ref: An article by Adrien Levasseur in French about Alphonse Grenier (Link): http://www.artpopulaire.com/fr/les-gosseux/detail-gosseux/chaudiere-appalaches/grenier-alphonse/

Ref: Canadian Museum of Civilization. Two works by Alphonse Grenier. (Copy and paste his name.):

http://collections.historymuseum.ca/public/pages/cmccpublic/emupublic/Query.php?lang=0

An image of Alphonse Grenier in his yard with a sculpture of Adam and Eve:

Alphonse Grenier. CMC Photo.

Photo from the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

Alphonse Grenier carving of a Stick Dancer (C.1960):

Alphonse Grenier. Stick Dancer.

Albert Giroux. Sculptor. Woodcarver. Sainte-Anne-de-la-Parade, Quebec. Active mid-20th century.

Albert Giroux was a naive sculptor. He made unpainted carvings of people that told a story of their lives. His work was focused on history especially the history of his family and of Quebec and the church. His carvings were  well done and showed great feeling. “I wanted to show a crying child, who was hungry”,  he said in an interview. Giroux seemed to treat wood like marble in his work. (There were marble Quarries near where he lived.) He was first mentioned in Les Patenteux du Quebec.

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

Ref: Kobayashi/Bird, A Compendium of Canadian Folk Artists (1985).

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

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