About —
Jean-Paul Jérôme signed the Manifeste des Plasticiens in 1955, along with Louis Belzile, Fernand Toupin and Jauran (Rodolphe de Repentigny). He was a key figure in Quebec’s abstract art scene of the second half of the 20th century.
Jérôme’s career was characterized by his commitment to geometric and hard-edge abstraction. The MAJ’s exhibition, however, focuses on a fascinating gestural detour in the artist’s career, a series of exceptional ink-on-paper works from 1969-70.
These stunning, liberated drawings wash over the viewer like music, an ode to joy. Here, the same precise structure that characterizes all of Jérôme’s work brings harmony to apparent chaos. Above all, these pieces reveal the artist’s obvious delight in the act of painting.
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Image in the banner
Jean-Paul Jérôme, Sans titre, 1969, 66 x 101.6 cm, ink on japan paper. Collection Robert Jérôme.
Biography —
Born in Montréal on February 18, 1928, Jean-Paul Jérôme died on August 14, 2004. A student at the École des beaux-arts in Montréal from 1945 to 1952, he went on to learn fresco techniques from Stanley Cosgrove. Along with Rodolphe de Repentigny (Jauran), Louis Belzile and Fernand Toupin, he was one of the signers of the 1955 Manifeste des plasticiens. A stay in Paris between 1956 and 1958 enabled him to meet the artists Giacometti, Vasarely, Hans Hartung and Martin Barré. Upon his return to Québec, he taught at the École des beaux-arts in Montréal, and then in Sorel, until 1973. Works by Jean-Paul Jérôme have been shown in over one hundred solo and group exhibitions in galleries and museums located throughout Canada, and are included in many of the country’s public and private collections. Moreover, a number of publications have examined the entire range of his work, as well as the various stages of his artistic development.
Source : Galerie Simon Blais