Paul-Émile Borduas’s Abstract Revolution

Paul-Émile Borduas (1905–1960) was the leader of the Automatiste movement, an avant-garde group of artists who had a profound influence on the development of art and thought, both in Quebec and English Canada. Inspired by the Surrealists, he sought to engage his impulses, “automatically” transforming his thoughts into movement, rhythm, volume, and light recorded on abstract drawings and paintings. His brash ideas, for which he paid a high price, contributed to the Quiet Revolution, which has had had a lasting influence on Quebecois politics. For more on Paul-Émile Borduas read François-Marc Gagnon’s Paul-Émile Borduas: Life & Work.

About the Curator: François-Marc Gagnon

François-Marc Gagnon (1935–2019) was a Professor of both Université de Montréal and Concordia University. A Member of the Order of Canada and an Officer of the Ordre national du Québec, he published extensively on Canadian art. His book The Codex Canadensis and the Writings of Louis Nicolas, written in collaboration with Réal Ouellet and Nancy Senior, was awarded the Canada Prize in 2013.

Banner Image: Paul-Émile Borduas, Leeward of the Island or 1.47 (Sous le vent de l’île ou 1.47) (detail), 1947, oil on canvas, 114.7 x 147.7 cm, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa.