Riopelle’s 100th Anniversary

Jean Paul Riopelle, 1965, by Yousuf Karsh

Organized by the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) and guest curated by Dr. Sylvie Lacerte, the exhibit marks one century since the birth of Riopelle and examines his 50+ year career through a new lens. Crossroads in Time gives you a unique take featuring Riopelle’s acclaimed masterworks alongside creations rarely or never seen before, as well as pieces by his contemporaries and artists working today who have been influenced by his energetic style.

The exhibition features over 100 artworks from Canadian and international private and public collections, including paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, and collages. Presented by Power Corporation of Canada, the WAG exhibition builds on the NGC show with a number of exciting Riopelle works from Canadian private collectors.

Riopelle is a significant figure in French Canadian art history and one of the few Canadian artists to gain an international reputation during his lifetime in the 20th century. He was the first postwar artist to achieve international success, with his work in many private and public collections around the world.

Riopelle is recognized for his striking paintings of epic proportions. His art is dynamic, fun, challenging, cerebral, and exciting. Riopelle pushed the boundaries and has left a trail of multifaceted artworks that continue to inspire today.

He was invested in the present moment, situating him at a crossroads in time – in the past that was his and the present that is ours.
-Dr. Sylvie Lacerte, exhibition curator

Riopelle’s artistic talents were noticed early on, as a pupil of Henri Bisson, a naturalist figurative painter. The young artist was a careful observer and had a strong talent for drawing and a rare sense of colour. He later studied art professionally and worked under Paul-Emile Borduas who would become his mentor. Famously, Riopelle signed the Refus Global, a manifesto that rejected the social, artistic, and psychological norms and values of Quebecois society. Following this signing, Riopelle went to Paris and settled into the art scene there, with the support of Canadian and international artists and gallerists.

While in Europe, Riopelle found that his work aligned with what his contemporaries were doing at the time, and his fluency in French made it easier to work overseas. This French connection is one of the reasons we’re especially excited that the show is in Winnipeg. The bilingual exhibition offers rich programming for schools and the wider Francophone community.

You can expect a wide range of artistic styles. While Riopelle may be famous for his abstract automatiste works, he also experimented with collage and sculpture. The expansive exhibition also features work from artists like Alberto Giacometti, Yousuf Karsh, Sam Francis, and Joan Mitchell – who would be his companion for 20 years, and artists of today, including Brian, Jungen, Caroline Monnet, Marc Seguin, and more. These contemporary artists have links through their own work and offer fresh perspectives on his art. Their pieces are composed of many mediums, perhaps an ode to Riopelle’s multidisciplinary talents.

The exhibition is a retrospective of his career and examines every stage of his artistic development and his different periods in a chronological order. You can pick up the exhibition catalogue at ShopWAG and enjoy the show, on view until September 8, 2024.