VANCOUVER.- The Vancouver Art Gallery is presenting the largest and most comprehensive exhibition of works by Jean Paul Riopelle (1923–2002) in Vancouver’s history. A towering figure in Canadian art, Riopelle remains one of the nation's most significant artists of the twentieth century. Organized by the National Gallery of Canada to mark the centenary celebration of the artist's birth, Riopelle: Crossroads in Time brings together almost 100 works drawn from 20 Canadian and international private and public collections, including two paintings from the Vancouver Art Gallery’s permanent collection. Guest curated by art historian and independent researcher Dr. Sylvie Lacerte, this extensive exhibition offers an original take on Riopelle’s creative output, highlighting his commitment to freedom of expression, his experimental ways of working, and his visionary and innovative approach.
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Riopelle: Crossroads in Time is part of the Jean Paul Riopelle Centenary celebrations — a global initiative of the Jean Paul Riopelle Foundation that honours the boundless creative spirit and enduring legacy of one of Canada's most iconic artists.
The celebrations were initiated in 2019 by renowned philanthropist and collector Michael Audain, Chair of The Audain Foundation, and past Chair and Cofounder of the Jean Paul Riopelle Foundation: “I consider Jean Paul Riopelle to be one of the greatest Canadian artists of all time. Over the past five years, the Jean Paul Riopelle Foundation curated an exceptional program to mark the centenary of his birth. Never before has one of our national artists been celebrated this way. We consider this to be our collective duty of memory. And we hope it will inspire others, so we may see our cultural heroes duly acknowledged for their contribution to the history of Canadian and international art. I am grateful to both the National Gallery of Canada and to the Vancouver Art Gallery for bringing this exhibition to British Columbia.”
Anthony Kiendl, CEO & Executive Director of the Vancouver Art Gallery, reflects on the significance of this presentation and the support that made it possible to bring the exhibition to the West Coast of Canada: “We feel privileged to present Riopelle: Crossroads in Time at the Vancouver Art Gallery as the grande finale of the artist’s centenary celebrations. We are grateful to our presenting sponsor, The Audain Foundation, who made it possible to give Vancouver audiences this incredible opportunity to experience Riopelle’s remarkable work and the new perspectives that the exhibition offers.”
Spanning five decades of Riopelle’s creative journey—bringing together paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints and collages—Riopelle: Crossroads in Time recognizes the breadth of Riopelle’s imagination and the diversity of his work and interests. The exhibition is organized chronologically to highlight his far-ranging practice and explosive periods of creativity, from the popular works of his youth, such as Le perroquet vert [The Green Parrot] (1949), to his final works, including Sans titre (Autour de Rosa) [Untitled (Around Rosa)] (1992). Early works from the 1940s mark the development of a spontaneous painting style inspired by his brief time as part of Les Automatistes, an influential group of Québécois artists. By the 1950s, when Riopelle’s work was being shown all over the world, he had arrived at what became his signature “mosaic” style in which he manipulated the paint with a palette knife to create bold shapes and energetic compositions. The exhibition spotlights several stunning canvases from this defining period, including La Roue II [The Wheel II] (1956) and Chicago II (1958).
In the 1960s Riopelle moved fluidly between sculpture and painting, and the exhibition features several bronze sculptures from this period, as well as paintings and prints created in the 1970s that were inspired by the imagery and atmosphere of the Far North. His final work from the 1980s and 1990s represents a surprising turn with colourful panel paintings peppered with spray paint and glitter. The exhibition also unravels Riopelle’s creative and cultural connections through the inclusion of a selection of works by his contemporaries, including Sam Francis, Alberto Giacometti, Roseline Granet, Joan Mitchell and Françoise Sullivan, which draw out influences and exchanges that shaped the artist’s life and work over time.
Jean-François Bélisle, Director and CEO, National Gallery of Canada, reflects on the celebrations: "We were honoured to present Riopelle: Crossroads in Time on the occasion of the centennial year of Jean Paul Riopelle's birth. From one of our best attended openings of 2023 to innovative music and dance events, this major retrospective of works by this legendary Canadian artist was a huge success. I would like to underscore the importance of partnerships between our country's museum institutions to make Canadian art accessible to all Canadians, from coast to coast to coast. Following its opening in the National Capital Region, we were elated to see the show have an outstanding run at the Winnipeg Art Gallery last summer. I would now like to express my gratitude to the Vancouver Art Gallery for hosting the final stop of this exhibition.”
Offering a unique take on Canada’s famed artist, this visually spectacular exhibition presents Riopelle’s renowned works alongside many which have been rarely shown in public. The presentation at the Vancouver Art Gallery also features works by Riopelle from the Gallery’s permanent collection, including his bold composition Sous le Mythe de Gitskan No. 3 [Under the Myth of Gitskan No. 3] (1956)—which has not been shown for more than a decade—and Figure libre-Parure [Free figure-Adornment] (1967). In preparation for the exhibition, Figure libre-Parure [Free figure-Adornment] has undergone extensive conservation treatment. Delicate consolidation, infilling and inpainting took place to resolve areas of unstable cracking and lifting paint. Now stabilized, preserved and newly framed, the painting is ready to be seen in its full brilliance.
“Jean Paul Riopelle was the first post-war Canadian artist to achieve international status. He is a pillar of our history, who has left in his wake a multifaceted body of work that encourages pushing past boundaries, and this is perhaps his greatest legacy,” says Dr. Sylvie Lacerte, Art Historian and Independent Researcher. “Underlining the extraordinary career of this prodigious artist enables us to keep the memory of his accomplishments alive. Riopelle was first and foremost a trailblazer, and that is precisely what made him an eminently contemporary artist. He was invested in the present moment; situating him at a crossroads in time highlights the currency of a body of work that will always be in the here and now.”
Riopelle: Crossroads in Time has been curated by Dr. Sylvie Lacerte, Art Historian and Independent Researcher. The Vancouver Art Gallery presentation is coordinated by Siobhan McCracken Nixon, Associate Curator.
The exhibition is accompanied by a richly illustrated catalogue, available for purchase in the Gallery Store. This thoughtfully designed hardcover publication, edited by Sylvie Lacerte, includes essays by artists and art historians, including Gilles Daigneault, Vera Frenkel, Manuel Mathieu, Caroline Monnet, Marc-Antoine K. Phaneuf and Marc Séguin, who reflect on Riopelle’s legacy.
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