SHERBROOKE: This fall, the Musée des beaux arts de Sherbrooke welcomes the public to an exhibition of the works of two artists who both enjoy the pleasures of travel: Peter Krausz was born in Romania and lives in Montreal. Pierre-Léon Tétreault was born in Granby and spends his time traveling between Costa Rica and Quebec. In both cases, colour is used to look into the nomadic souls of these artists and accentuate the explored territory. With Krausz depicts a no-man`s land that is revisited numerous times while in Tétreault`s work, the planet Earth is depicted as much in its familiarity as its unknown.
Peter Krausz, 2003-2013: un survol will be on exhibit at the Musée des beaux arts de Sherbrooke, until January 19, 2014. In 1969, Peter Krausz, then in his early twenties, secretly left his native Rumania. For more than forty years, the flight towards the unknown has continued to nourish the reflections of the artist. The landscapes which inspire him are those marked by history, conflict, and war. He transforms and elevates them, turning them into spaces halfway between reality and the imaginary. His work is colourful and exuberant. The artist particularly enjoys the clear luminosity of dawn, the warm colours of the afternoon, and the violet tones of the sunset which he paints using the ancient al secco technique. The exhibition includes 15 large-format works produced over the past ten years.
Biography : Born in Romania, Peter Krausz studied mural painting between 1964 and 1969 at the Fine Arts Institute in Bucharest. Having made his home in Montreal since 1970, he has participated in many solo and group exhibitions in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the United States and Europe. His works, including paintings, drawings, installations and photography are part of private and public collections such as the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, the Jewish Museum in New York and many others. He has received many grants from the Canada Council and the Quebec Council for Arts and Letters and he won competitions in the Integration of Art in Architecture Program.
From 1980 to 1990, Peter Krausz was the curator and director of the Saidye Bronfman Centre d’Art Gallery and a Professor at Concordia University. Since 1991, he has been teaching art at the Université de Montréal where he is a Tenured Professor in the Art History and Cinema Studies Department. Peter Krausz is represented by the De Bellefeuille Gallery in Montreal, the Mira Godard Gallery in Toronto and the Forum Gallery in New York.
The technique:
Peter Krausz uses an ancient painting technique called a secco, from the Italian for dry. Secco is a mixture of egg, wax and alkyde paint. This technique, invented in Egypt more than 3500 years ago, was used widely during the Renaissance period. In contrast to the technique called a fresco, in which pigments are applied to a damp surface, Peter Krausz applies several dry layers to obtain the brilliant colours for which we know his work. Rich and luminous, surfaces produced a secco are also extremely durable.
Pierre-Léon Tétreault: la couleur contre la guerre… the color sings love and freedom (October 12, 2013 to February 23, 2014) A great lover of travel, Pierre-Léon Tétreault insatiably collects images, signs and symbols belonging to various cultures. He photographs, engraves and paints them, making these works close to the writing symbolic system and suitable for universal comprehension. Life and nomadic voyages are Tétreault’s overriding themes. He offers an exhibition of engravings and paintings twinned with photographs reminiscent of his many voyages.
The Pierre-Léon Tétreault exhibition, Traces and impressions of a nomad, was exhibited in the Centre d’art Yvonne L. Bomber (Valcourt) until September 4. This fall, Tétreault’s work was also exhibited, beginning September 4 at the Galerie d’art Jean-Claude Bergeron in Ottawa. Starting October 10, his work will be featured at the Galerie du Théâtre d’art contemporaire in Magog.
The Musée des Beaux-arts de Sherbrooke is supported financially by the ministère de la Culture et des Communications, and la Ville de Sherbrooke. Visitors are welcome from Tuesday to Sunday, from noon to 5:00 p.m. The Musée is located at 241 Dufferin, in the downtown sector. Entry fees: $ 10/adult; $ 8/senior; and $ 7/student. Family rates are available. Guided tours in English or group tours: advance reservations required.
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Photo 1: Peter Krausz.: un survol
Photo 2 : Pierre-Léon Tétreault: la couleur contre la guerre… the color sings love and freedom