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.
