Published at 1:05 am. Updated at 8:00 a.m.
“Painting is the most important form in the visual arts. »
Françoise Sullivan is an artist who has experimented with different media. We know her as a dancer and choreographer – particularly through this legendary 1948 performance, Dance in the Snow, whose photos by Maurice Perron are also presented in this exhibition opening today.
However, it is his most recent painting from 2022 and 2023 that takes pride of place at the Museum of Fine Arts during the exhibition entitled Françoise Sullivan – “I let the rhythms flow”.
At a press conference on Monday morning, Françoise Sullivan admitted that she had always considered painting as the pillar of fine art and returned to it in the 1980s after cycles of experimentation.
“I neglected it for a while in my career,” she said, “but I had to get back to it. »
“Look at the titles. »
For his 2022-2023 series, the artist recommends reading the titles carefully.
“They were inspired by Flaubert because she read it last summer, at the time of its creation,” said the exhibition’s curator, Florence-Agathe Dubé-Moreau, who also spoke of that day when Françoise Sullivan presented him with the hanging commission Works with their titles. “It was so beautiful, the titles are so literary,” said Florence-Agathe Dubé-Morin, who thought she was receiving a poem when she read them for the first time.
His most recent paintings include The Annunciator of the Moons, Your Lightnings Dazzle Me and We Feel the Succession of the Ages.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
Françoise Sullivan specified that in this series of recent paintings we find “the colors of Flaubert.”
As for the title of this exhibition, “I let the rhythms flow,” it was the artist herself who described the improvised movement of her dance in the snow in a text from the 1970s.
“This title symbolizes the connection between dance and painting,” said guest curator Florence-Agathe Dubé-Moreau, as we find the very strong gesture in Sullivan’s work.
“It’s inspired by the incredible summer we had. »
It wasn’t just Flaubert who inspired Françoise Sullivan; Last summer’s climatic events guided some of the work of a person who has been interested in the environment for decades and translates its concerns into her work.
She admitted on Monday morning that her recent production was heavily influenced by “rain, storms and sunshine” sequences.
For me it is impossible not to engage with what is happening in the world.
Françoise Sullivan
“When I look at my life, I see that creation is important. »
We have talked a lot about Françoise Sullivan, this year on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Refus Global, of which she is a co-signatory.
At the beginning of fall, we unveiled this huge mural located on the facade of the Hyatt Hotel next to Émilie-Gamelin Park in Montreal.
In Ottawa, one of his works is part of the Riopelle exhibition at the National Gallery of Canada. The two artists, born in 1923, are founding members of the Automatists group.
Françoise Sullivan continues to create almost daily in her new studio, located within walking distance of her home. One of the exhibition’s final paintings was created in 48 consecutive hours “without eating,” said its creator.
“The museum has always been a blessed place for me since I was a child. »
Françoise Sullivan is at home at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, which dedicated an exhibition to her early in her career.
A retrospective was shown there in 2003, curated by Stéphane Aquin, now the general director of the MMFA. Which led Françoise Sullivan to say, with amusement, that it was certainly a sign that “he didn’t find it too difficult.”
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
Surrounded by Françoise Sullivan, the two curators of the exhibition, Stéphane Aquin and Florence-Agathe Dubé-Moreau. Behind it is the impressive Homage to Patterson (2003).
The exhibition takes place in three rooms in the basement of the museum, one large and two small. In addition to photos of Maurice Perron and his painting, there are a series of pastels from the 1990s (recently found in his archives) and a large sculpture, a reconstruction of a work from 1968, as well as some pieces from the museum’s collection.
Françoise Sullivan – “I let the rhythms flow”, presented November 1st to February 18th, 2024