Canadian Folk Art and Outsider Art
Emile Allard. Sculptor. Saint-Mathieu, Quebec. Active mid 20th century.
Emile is known for a model village that he made and assembled in his yard in the late 1950’s. He was first mentioned in ‘Les Pantenteux du Quebec’ where his grand daughter was interviewed.
Ref: Les Patenteux du Qubec. Louise de Grosbois, Raymonde Lamothe and Lise Nantel, Les Editions Parti Pris, Montreal, 1978.
Noe J. Champagne. Rug hooker. Fabric artist. Dudswell-Bishopton, Eastern Townships, Estrie, Quebec. Active mid to late 20th century.
Noe Champagne made hooked rugs or mats; usually from his own designs. His rugs were hooked on burlap using strips of fabric from old clothes. Noe Champagne made designs from traditional themes as well as geometric designs and always full of color. he was often seen at the Coaticook Fair giving demonstrations of this traditional art.
A link to The Canadian Museum of History showing Noe Champagne’s work:
http://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/arts/art-quebec/art-quebec2_3-e.shtml
Henri Angers. Sculptor. Wood carver. Neuville (Portneuf), Quebec. Active early to mid 20th century.
All though some authors have included Henri Angers in listings of folk artists; he was in fact trained (as an apprentice) in the work shop of Quebec artist Louis Jobin and studied further in Belgium at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts there. He is known in Quebec for his religious church carvings in paint and gilded wood.
He should not be considered a folk artist or outsider artist.
A link to The Canadian Museum of History for a photo of the artist in his studio:
http://www.museedelhistoire.ca/cmc/exhibitions/tresors/barbeau/mb0783bf.shtml
Oscar Heon. Sculptor. Wood carver. Cap-de-la-Madelaine, Quebec. Active mid-20th century.
Oscar Heon carved occasionally through-out his life and turned to it full time after he retired. His sculptures were often complex and focused on people and their activities. He was as interested in modern Quebec social events as he was with traditional scenes. He worked with many materials and media, often recycling household things and their parts in his works and if his carved kitchen scene had a pot on the stove it was made by him out of metal. He always coloured his works in high gloss primary colours. He carved toys, Religious figures and often of his pieces were mechanized. Shown below in a link to The Canadian History Museum site is a work called “Morning Exercise” that was inspired by a Telivision program. (This work also appears to be mechanized.)
His work is rarely found outside of museums and a few private collections as his body of work was bought and dispersed, mainly to museums, by Nettie Sharp in the 1970’s.
Ref: Galipeau, Pascale and Peressini, Mauro and Millette, Richard and Carpentier, Paul. Les Paradis du monde : L’art populaire du Québec. Hull, Qc: Musée canadien des civilisations/Canadian Museum of Civilization, 1995.
L. B. Bedard. Sculptor. Wood carver. Quebec. Active first half of the 20th century.
A carving of a Moose by L. B. Bedard has been seen with the date 1936. No other information is available. It is a primitive carving done in Pine and varnished.
A link to an image of the Moose:*
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fotoplo/9424111544/in/album-72157634905368276/
*Ref: Flicker account of Jacques Pleau.
