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Jean Marcel DumontierBorn in 1964. He studied Arts at André-Grasset College and the University of Quebec in Montreal. He has produced more than 14 solo exhibits to this day. The goal of his work is to give rise to people’s sense of intuitive interpretation. The works come to life according to each person’s imagination. His abstract images are inspired from the textures, colours and movements that surround us, all of which are elements that influence his choice of format and medium. His Hommage à Gainsbourg exhibit exemplifies this vision remarkably. Works of Jean Marcel Dumontier can be found in many private collections across Quebec, the United States, China and Switzerland.
1997, Le Bateau-lavoir in Montreal, the Solo exhibit is composed of 95 works of 16”x16”. Medium: industrial paint. The works represent different abstract landscapes as seen through a windowpane. 1997, Le 305 Bellechasse Est in Montreal, Dualité ou identité fragmentaire is composed of 7 works produced on paper. Medium: industrial paint. 1997, Le Bateau-lavoir in Montreal, participated in the opening of the gallery (retrospect of works created between 1994 and 1997). 1996, Le 460 Sainte-Catherine Ouest in Montreal, Tableaux compacts counts over 300 works of 5_”x6_”. Medium: idustrial paint and dye. The object of this exhibit is to bring the visual arts closer to the music industry and demonstrate that the former is also a item for public consumption. 1995, Tour de la Bourse de Montréal, an exhibit composed of 24 works produced on paper. Medium: industrial paint and dye. These works are an exploration of the qualities of transparency and opacity achievable through the use of non-traditional media. 1993, Kö Zen Gallery in Montreal, Série diagonale, composed of ten works. Medium: acrylic on canvas. Study of mass. 1992, Kö Zen Gallery in Montreal, Hommage à Gainsbourg, composed of 16 works. Medium: acrylic on canvas. “His arrogance, his talents as a creator and his strong presence in life made of Gainsbourg a fascinating personage,” Dumontier. These works consist of using quotes from Gainsbourg and photographs of his Muses which gradually appear at the surface through transparency colour collage. 1990, Galerie d’Art Contemporains de Montreal, an exhibit composed of five canvases and ten works produced on paper. Medium: acrylic. “The intersection of colours defines an imaginary space, it is the knife that directs the hand,” Jean Marcel Dumontier. Jean Marcel DUMONTIER, Text by Robert Bernier (Parcours) There are, one could say, two distinct processes within artistic creation. The first might be called “the sponge phenomenon”, which precedes the actual creation of a work of art while constituting an essential step in its conception. It is a disposition borne by all creators regardless of their discipline the capacity to absorb their surroundings, to allow themselves to be penetrated by an impression, an ineffable, fluid impulse, a breeze that carries the spirit to seize the present. One might describe it as a state of amplified concentration in which the mind can capture a moment and keep it stored in memory until the time comes for creation. It is at this point that the artist engages himself in the medium... It is at this point that the second process begins. In the realm of painting, depending on the artist and most importantly the creative path which he chooses to follow, absorption more or less constitutes a determining dimension of the final work. For Jean Marcel Dumontier, this first step is an essential one. The artist feeds off of every aspect of the equilibrium that he has reached in his life between his work as a mason and a ski instructor, and his passion for painting. A stereotypical formula based in the characteristic language of visual-arts would undoubtedly refer to Dumontier’s extreme sensitivity. Although such a depiction is not erroneous per se, it is far too incomplete, too superficial for an artist who applies himself to exploring beneath the surface. Words ultimately do not suffice to explain the subtleties and the fine nuances that can be acheived on canvas or paper once the artist’s absorption has come to terms and that, armed with his sharp concentration and a keen understanding of his environment, he lets the creative process flow into the realm of the concrete. At this point, nature becomes his nature, the world becomes his world. The creator then distances himself from reality, just as Jean-Paul Riopelle suggested. What distance? His own, properly defined! Jean-Marcel Dumontier works with industrial paint. This particular choice is not in itself a revolutionary one in today’s context. Modern pigments are far superior to those of years past. Color is infinitely more stable, and its elasticity is no longer a concern, so long as one doesn’t abuse of blending techniques and pure colors. But considering all these advances, why does Jean Marcel Dumontier choose to use industrial pigments instead of materials destined specifically for fine-arts? Beyond pecuniary motives the price per gallon is considerably lower this choice expresses a certain opposition to the bourgeoisie that has too often taken a hold of art, to the undeciferable discourse of art, to the standardization of the creative process, in other words to everything that serves to distance the observer from the creator and that takes away the innocence of discovery and the simple pleasure that one gets from sharing a significant life experience. What’s more, Jean Marcel Dumontier manages gracefully to impose his view of the world without asking for anything in return. This is the essence of a priviledged relationship between the creator and his spectator… |
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