A key figure in contemporary art, abstract painter Fernand Leduc died on Tuesday (January 28) at the age of 97. Leduc was part of “Les Automatistes” a group of painters in the predominantly French-speaking province of Quebec.
In 1948 he was a signatory of the controversial anti-establishment and anti-religion manifesto “Refus global” (Total Refusal) along with contemporaries such as Paul-Émile Borduas and Jean-Paul Riopelle.
Born in Montreal on July 4, 1916 he was a graduate of the now-defunct Montreal School of Fine Arts.
Along with at least a dozen other artists, he was a member of the Automatistes, a group of abstract artists inspired by French surrealism and the poetry of André Breton.
He later joined the Plasticiens movement which followed more the abstract approach of Mondrian.
Governor General Michaelle Jean congratulates Fernand Leduc from Montreal after receiving the Governor General’s award in visual and media arts at an awards ceremony in Ottawa Friday, March 23, 2007.(Photo: Tom Hanson/CP)
In 2007, Leduc was awarded the Governor General’s award in visual and media arts.
More information:
CBC News – Fernand Leduc, Quebec abstract painter, dies at 97 – here
Radio-Canada – Fernand Leduc, peintre et signataire du Refus global, est décédé (in French) – here
Canadian Encyclopedia – Fernand Leduc – here
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