Jean-Paul Mousseau
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Jean-Paul Mousseau (January 1, 1927-February 7, 1991) was a student of Paul-Émile Borduas and a member of the Automatist school of Quebec artists.
He took a new direction at the end of the 1950s as one of the first Quebec artists who saw the necessity of integrating art into the urban environment. His most important contributions are thus original murals and other collaborations with architects.
Jean-Paul Mousseau did a great deal of important work in the Montreal metro. He clashed with the metro's first art director, Robert Lapalme, who insisted that metro art be figurative, represent Montreal history, and be sponsored. Mousseau wished to open the doors to non-figurative art integrated into the architecture and accounted for in the construction budget. Lapalme held sway over the initial network, except for two works (Mousseau's circles at Peel station and Marcelle Ferron's stained glass at Champ-de-Mars) which he always regretted.
Mousseau took over as art director after LaPalme, and his influence marked all the rest of the network, which includes stunning works of non-figurative art integrated with the architecture. Most of the artwork was planned in accordance with the architects, and many were by the architects themselves. Other works by Mousseau in the metro include the mural Opus 74 at Viau station, two murals at Honoré-Beaugrand, and a mural (temporarily removed) at Square-Victoria.
His work is also integral to Montreal's airport and several of its skyscrapers. A major work is a mural (Lumière et mouvement) in the Hydro-Québec building in Montreal.
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Jean-Paul Mousseau studied painting at the age of thirteen while at the College Notre-Dame in Montreal under Frère Jérome (1940-45). He became a student of Paul-Emile Borduas at the Ecole du Meuble, Montreal. He was a member of the group of painters known as the Automatistes. In 1948, he was one of the signatories of the Refus global manifesto. He was a founding member of the Association on Non-Figurative Artists of Montreal. He designed murals for the Hydro Quebec building and the Peel Metro in Montreal.
Exhibitions: 1946 Montreal Museum of Fine Art 1947 Automatistes ,Galerie du Luxembourg, Paris; Exhibited with Riopelle in Montreal 1952 Automatistes, Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal; Biennial Exhibition of Canadian Painting, National Art Gallery, Ottawa 1953 Automatistes, Place Des Arts, Montreal 1954 "La matière Chante",Galerie Antoine, Montreal Biennial Exhibition of Canadian painting, National Art Gallery,Ottawa; Winnipeg Art Show, Wins First Prize; "Young painters of Canada" in Belgium 1955 "Espace 55", Museum of Fine Art, Montreal; Galerie l'Actuelle, Montreal; 1956 Galerie l'Actuelle, with Riopelle,Borduas, Sam Francis,McEwen and others 1957 Exhibition of the Association of Non-Figuratives Artists of Montreal 1959 The Association of Non Figurative Artists, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts 1960 "L'exposition Universelle de Brussels" of 20 Canadian painters, La Galerie Denyse Delrue 1963 "Festival of the 2 Worlds", Spolette, Italy; Luminous Sculptures: Museum of Montreal Galerie Agnès Le Fort 1964 Museum of Montreal Salon du Printemps Galerie Toninelli, Milan, Italy; Galerie 60 "Espace-temps" 1967 Retropesctive "Aspects", Museum of Contemporary Art, Montreal 1971 "Borduas and the Automatistes" Grand Palais, Paris 1980 Contemporary Art Society, Edmonton Art Gallery 1983 Association of Non-Figurative Artists of Montreal, Concordia University 1997 Retrospective " Mousseau" Museum of Contemporary Art, Montreal
Collections: Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art, Montreal National Museum of Fine Arts of Quebec, Quebec City Museum of Art, Joliette, Quebec Leonard& Bina Ellen Art Gallery, Concordia University, Montreal National Art Gallery of Canada, Ottawa Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta Art Gallery of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario University of Lethbridge Art Collections, Alberta http://www.canadianartgroup.com/artists/id/12
