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National Library News |
by Denise Leclerc,
Assistant curator, Later Canadian Art, National Gallery of Canada
(Adapted from Le sens de mots, a "Savoir Faire" presentation given at the National Library of Canada on September 15, 1998.)
The automatist movement in Montreal is probably the one that has most drawn on literary sources in Quebec and in Canada — not as a direct source of artistic inspiration, but rather as an adaptation of a creation technique in writing. The automatist technique was cultivated by the surrealist French author André Breton. We have, therefore, tried, throughout this presentation, to forge a link between a very important movement in painting in the 1940s and the world of literature.
For example, the history of the new editions of the Refus global, the manifesto of the group, published in August 1948, as well as the places of publication, have significant impact on the milieu. The commemorative notes following each decade give specialized journals the opportunity to broaden the debate and circulate ideas to a larger audience. Such erudite works as the writings of François-Marc Gagnon or the publication of Paul-Émile Borduas’ texts, critically annoted by Gilles Lapointe, have contributed to its influence by adding the weight of academic authority. As Jacques Godbout said, they are all milestones in the making of a myth. This statement also allows us to explain how the concept of "breaking", or even the term "independent" painters, has evolved since 1936, going beyond the artistic sphere.
In conclusion, the paradox of the automatist group, which is considered to be a driving force behind modern Quebec society, is the following: it contested modern rationalism by favouring freedom of the subconscious by automatist methods and by having "irresponsible" values. We can always be refreshed by automatism to draw on a new sense from it. That is the evolution of the "meaning of words".