Yves Trudeau RCA, QSA, SAPQ, SODAV, CM (1930)

An important Canadian sculptor, painter, draftsman, educator and a leader in the Quebec art community, Yves Trudeau was born in, and still lives in, Montreal, Quebec. Trudeau was a professor at the University of Quebec at Montreal [UQAM] for over 30 years. He was a founder and President of the Quebec Sculptors Association, a council member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, and a Member of the Order of Canada. His work was included in the National Gallery of Canada’s landmark exhibition “300 Years of Canadian Art” and he is the subject of lengthy articles in the Canadian Encyclopedia and E. Benezit. His smaller works are in the permanent collections of many museums and his monumental sculptures occupy numerous public spaces throughout Quebec and elsewhere.

Trudeau’s mediums include painted steel, welded steel, Corten* steel, iron, bronze, aluminum, Plexiglas*, plastic, granite, marble, wood, copper, stone, cardboard, graphite, gesso*, watercolor, collage*, charcoal and mixed mediums. His subjects have included figures, birds, allegory, symbolism, anthropomorphic figures, science fiction, social commentary, historic events and pure abstraction – color, shape, texture and line. His styles have included Abstraction, Geometric Abstraction, Kinetic Art*, Minimalism and Surrealism.

His education includes studies at the École des beaux-arts de Montréal (c.1950 – 1960) and ceramics under Gaetan Beaudin at his North Hatley, Quebec studio (1960). Trudeau was a professor of sculpture at the École des beaux-arts de Montréal [now part of UQAM] (1967 – 1969) and a professor of sculpture at the University of Quebec at Montreal [UQAM] (1969 – 1998).

He was a founding member (1960) of the Quebec Sculptors Association [now – Conseil de la Sculpture du Quebec] and its President for 9 years (c.1962 to 1973); a member of the Sculptors Society of Canada (elected in 1963); a member of the Society of Professional Artists of Quebec [SAPQ] (1966); a member of the Canadian Conference of the Arts and its Vice-President (1973 – 1978 and 1980 – 1983); a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (1974) and a Vice-President (1975 – 1983 and 1997 – 1998); and a President of the Society of Artist Rights in Visual Arts [SODAV] (1990 – 1991).

Trudeau exhibited in the Quebec Provincial Art Exhibitions at the Quebec Museum of Fine Arts (1959, 1962, 1966, and 1969); with the Quebec Sculptors Association (1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1970 and 1972), in the Spring Exhibition of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (1964); in the annual exhibition of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (1976); and with the Society of Professional Artists of Quebec (1977).

His works were featured in dozens of major Canadian themed group exhibitions such as “Canadian Sculpture”, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (1964); “Ten Sculptors of Montréal”, Bundy Art Gallery, Waitsfield, Vermont (1965); “Sculptors of Quebec”, Stratford Festival, Stratford, Ontario (1966); “Archambault, Fournelle, Trudeau”, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (1966); “Three Hundred Years of Canadian Art”, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (1967); “Expo 67”, Montreal (1967); “Ontario Centennial Art Exhibition”, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto (1967); Sculpture of Quebec”, Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art (1968); “Six Sculptors of Montreal”, Albright Knox Museum, Buffalo, New York (1968); “Mini-Sculptures”, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (1968); “Trends in Québec Sculpture, 1960 – 1970”, Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art (1970); “Panorama of Sculpture in Quebec: 1945 – 1970”, Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art and Musée Rodin, Paris (1970 – 1971); ”Expo-Profs”, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (1971); “Pitrumac I, environmental installation”, Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art (1971); "Polarized Light", Salon Comparaison, Grand Palais, Paris, France (1974); “Art'ères of Montreal”, Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art (1975); “Three Decades of Quebec Art: 1940-50-60”, Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art (1975); “Luminescences”, Sadye Bronfman Centre, Montréal (1976); “Forum 76”, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (1976); “A Sculpture for Hamilton”, Hamilton Art Gallery, Hamilton, Ontario (1978); “20 Years of the Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art”, Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art (1985); “Tribute to the Montreal School of Fine Arts 1923 – 1969”, Galerie UQAM, Montréal (1989); “The Sculpture of Quebec, 1946 – 1961”, Quebec Museum of Fine Arts, Quebec City (1992); “The Lavalin Collection: Sharing a Vision”, Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art (1994); “Kaleidoscope: An Exhibition by Quebec Members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts”, Palais Montcalm, Québec City (1998); “Artcité: When Montréal Turns Into a Museum”, Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art (2001); and “A Matter of Abstraction”, Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art (2012 – 2016).

His works were shown in numerous international biennials, symposiums, salons and expositions such as the 1st Biennale of Winnipeg, Manitoba (1962); the 16th exposition de la Jeune Sculpture, Galerie Creuze, Paris, France (1964); Symposium International de Sculpture, Ravne, Yugoslavia (1964); the 17th Salon de la Jeune Sculpture, Musée Rodin, Paris, France (1965); “Symposium du Québec”, Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art (1965); the 4th Biennale des Jeunes de Paris, Musée d’Art Moderne, Paris, France (1965); the 2nd Monstra Internationale di Sculptura, Aperto, Fondazione Pagani, Legnano, Milan, Italy (1966); Symposium International de Sculpture, Ostrava, Czechoslovakia (1969); Biennale de la Sculpture, Middleheim, Antwerp, Belgium (1971); the 1st Biennale de la petite Sculpture, Budapest, Hungary (1971); the 2nd Salon National des Galeries d’Art, Palais des Congrès, Montréal, Québec (1984); and the 1st Biennale de Grandes Sculptures, Legnano, Milan, Italy (1985).

His works were the subjects of solo exhibitions at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (1960, 1963 and 1977); Quebec Museum of Fine Arts (1970); Canadian Cultural Centre, Paris, France (1975); Confederation Centre Art Gallery & Museum, Charlottetown, P.E.I. (1977); Palais des beaux-arts, Brussels (1976); Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art (1978); Joliette Art Museum, Joliette, Quebec (1978); Galerie UQAM, University of Quebec at Montreal (1984); Sherbrooke Museum of Fine Arts, Sherbrooke, Quebec (2001 and 2008); and the Musée du Bas-Saint-Laurent, Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec (2008).

His works were also featured in solo and group exhibitions at prominent commercial galleries such as Galerie Frédéric Palardy, Montréal; Galerie Bernard, Montréal; Galerie Agnès Lefort, Montréal; Galerie Daniel, Montréal; Galerie Denyse Delrue, Montréal; Galerie Gilles Corbeil, Montréal; Galerie Schweitzer, Montréal; Galerie Espace, Montréal; Galerie l’Apogée, St-Sauveur des Monts, Québec; Galerie Madeleine Lacerte, Québec City; Galerie Riverin – Arlogos, Eastman, Québec City; Léo Kamen Gallery, Toronto; Galerie Danielli Ltd., Toronto; Dunkelman Gallery, Toronto; McDowell’s Gallery, Toronto; Galerie Suzanne de Coninck, Paris, France; and Bohman-Bohman’s Konstandel, Stockholm.

According to the Canadian Heritage Information Network* and individual museum sources, his works are in the permanent collections of the Carleton University Art Gallery (Ottawa, Ontario), Confederation Centre Art Gallery & Museum (Charlottetown, P.E.I.), Joliette Art Museum (Quebec), Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art (Quebec), Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Quebec), Musee de la Civilisation (Quebec City), Musée du Bas-Saint-Laurent (Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec), Quebec Museum of Fine Arts (Quebec City), Sherbrooke Museum of Fine Arts (Quebec), University of Quebec at Montreal (Quebec), and the National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa).

The Original locations of some of his monumental public space works are the Montreal Metro [subway] (2); Complexe Desjardins, Montreal (2); Place de l'An-2000, Saint-Laurent, Montreal; Île Sainte-Hélène, Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montreal; Musée de Lachine, Lachine, Montreal; Engineering, Computer Science and Visual Arts Complex, Concordia University, Montreal; Centre d'hébergement du Centre-Ville de Montréal, Ville-Marie, Montreal; Maison Alcan, Ville-Marie, Montreal; Faculté d'éducation, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec; Joliette Art Museum, Joliette, Quebec; Place du Portage, Gatineau, Quebec; Place de la Découverte, Gaspé, Quebec; Centre Notre-Dame-de-l'Enfant, Sherbrooke, Quebec; Centre d'arts Orford, Orford (Estrie), Quebec; Centre de formation professionnelle de Rivière-du-Loup, Pavillon de l'Avenir, Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec; Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Département de neurologie, Sherbrooke, Quebec; and the Administrative Building, St. Lawrence Seaway, St. Catharines, Ontario.

Trudeau’s numerous honors and awards include three Canada Council* awards (1963, 1964 and 1969); The Queen Elizabeth Silver Jubilee Medal (1977); Jury member for the Prix Paul-Émile-Borduas Award* (1981); the Certificate of Excellence from UQAM for a Outstanding contribution in the field of Plastic Arts (1984); Honorary member of the Union of Visual Artists [Regroupement des artists en arts visual – R.A.A.V.] (1985); Honorary Member of the Council of Painting of Quebec (1985); Member of the Minister of Cultural Affairs of Quebec Advisory Group on the Status of the Artist (1987 – 1989); Honorary Member of the Council of Sculpture of Quebec (1990); The Queen Elizabeth Golden Jubilee Medal (2002); and The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012).

In 1995 Trudeau was given one of Canada’s highest honors, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada (CM) by the Governor General. The citation reads in part:
“A renowned sculptor and artist and an ardent defender of his fellow artists…” (1)

Footnote:
(1) Quote source: The Governor General of Canada website.

Sources:
La question de l'abstraction (2012), by Josée Belisle and Mark Cheetham; Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal

The Visual Arts in Canada: The Twentieth Century (2010), by Brian Foss, Anne Whitelaw and Sandra Paikowsky (see askART Publications)

Benezit Dictionary of Artists (2006), English version (see askART Publications)

A History of Art in Quebec: The Collection of the Musee national des beaux-arts du Quebec (2004), edited by Yves Lacasse and John R Porter; Musee national des beaux-arts du Quebec, Quebec

Biographical Index of Artists in Canada (2003), by Evelyn de Rostaing McMann (see askART Publications)

Artcité: When Montréal Turns Into a Museum (2001), by Nathalie Garneau; Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art, Quebec

Who's Who in American Art, 2001 – 2002 24th edition (2001), edited by Donald Bunton; published by Marquis Who’s Who, New Providence, NJ

The Collector's Dictionary of Canadian Artists at Auction (2001), by Anthony R. Westbridge and Diana L. Bodnar (see askART Publications)

Pierre Ouvrard: Master Bookbinder (2000), by Merrill Distad and Jeannine Green; University of Alberta Press, Edmonton

The Canadian Encyclopedia (1999), edited by James H. Marsh; McClelland & Stewart, Toronto

E. Benezit Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs, et Graveurs (1999) (see askART Publications)

Kaleidoscope: An Exhibition by Quebec Members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (1998), by Pierre Henry; Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, Toronto

A to Z of Canadian Art: artists & art terms (1997), by Blake McKendry; B. McKendry, Kingston, Ontario

Who's Who in American Art 1993 – 94, 20th Edition (1993), by American Federation of Arts and R.R. Bowker Company; R.R. Bowker, New York, London

Art and Architecture in Canada (1991), by Loren R. Lerner and Mary F. Williamson (see askART Publications)

Code of Ethics for Sculptors, followed by a Practical Guide to the Relationships between Sculptors and Consumers (1990), by Ninon Gauthier, and Luc LaRochelle; Conseil de la sculpture du Québec, Montréal

Yves Trudeau : works, 1959 – 1985 (1989), by Jacques de Roussan, Tatiana Démidoff Séguin, and Renée Cosgrove;Éditions Broque, LaPrairie, Quebec

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts: Spring Exhibitions 1880 – 1970 (1988), by Evelyn de R. McMann (see askART Publications)

The Canadian Encyclopedia Second Edition (1988), edited by James H. Marsh; Hurtig Publishers Ltd., Edmonton, Alberta

The Canadian Encyclopedia (1985), edited by James H. Marsh; Hurtig Publishers Ltd., Edmonton, Alberta

Montréal and Monument as an Art (1985), by Suzanne Leclerc and Christian Ekemberg; Ministère des Affaires culturelles du Québec

Who's Who in American Art, 16th Edition (1984), by Jaques Cattell Press; R.R. Bowker, New York, London

Who's Who in American Art 15th Edition (1982), by Jaques Cattell Press (see askART Publications)

Royal Canadian Academy of Arts: Exhibitions and Members, 1880 – 1979 (1981), by Evelyn de R. McMann (see askART Publications)

Passionate Spirits: A History of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, 1880 – 1980 (1980), by Rebecca Sisler (see AskART Publications)

Forum 76 (1976), by Leo Rosshandler and Germain Lefebvre; Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Quebec

Quebec 74 (1974), by Fernande Saint-Martin; Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art, Montreal, Quebec

L’art au Quebec depuis 1940 (1973), by Guy Robert; La Presse, Ottawa

Creative Canada: A Biographical Dictionary of Twentieth Century Creative and Performing Arts (1972), by Helen M. Rodney; University of Toronto Press

New Dictionary of Modern Sculpture”(1971), edited by Robert Maillard; Tudor Publishing Company, NYC

Yves Trudeau, sculpteur (1971), by Guy Robert; Association des Sculpteurs du Québec, Montreal

Three Hundred Years of Canadian Art (1967), by R.H. Hubbard and J.R. Ostiguy (see askART Publications)

Canadian Sculpture: Expo 67 (1967), William Withrow; Graph, Montreal

Canadian Heritage Information Network*

The Governor General of Canada website

Yves Trudeau CV courtesy of Francois Trudeau (email)

Montreal public art website

Metro de Montreal website

Galerie Bernard, Montreal

Judi Michelle Young, Sculptors Society of Canada (June 2, 2017 email)

* For more in-depth information about these terms and others, see AskART.com. Glossary http://www.askart.com/AskART/lists/Art_Definition.aspx

Written and contributed to askART by M.D. Silverbrooke.