PATRICK MIKHAIL MONTREAL PRESENTS “INTERIOR ELEMENT” AN INSTALLATION OF NEW WORKS BY MONTREAL ARTIST PAUL BUREAU
PAUL BUREAU
INTERIOR ELEMENT
MONTREAL
APRIL 1 TO MAY 20, 2017
ARTIST RECEPTION:
SATURDAY, APRIL 1
2 P.M. TO 5 P.M.
PATRICK MIKHAIL GALLERY in Montréal is pleased to present INTERIOR ELEMENT, PAUL BUREAU's first solo exhibition with the gallery. This newest body of work, with yet another enigmatic and witty title—Bureau’s trademark over the years—continues the artist’s long investigation into abstraction both from the perspective of his Québec roots, and from a more international perspective.
INTERIOR ELEMENT unfolds in two components. In one selection of paintings, mirrored sidebars reveal to the viewer, in a quirky fashion, the many layers and colors Bureau has consistently employed to build up his canvases. Conversely, other paintings in the exhibition demand a direct frontal appraisal—often displayed in one color or a principal color with odd, almost cheeky, blobs of strongly contrasting color. In Bureau’s paintings, it is almost as if the dominant color is striving to restrain the emerging intruder. In other one-color canvases, diagonals erupt on the surface revealing the depth of paint layers involved, teasing the viewer into sensing an outburst. The entire effect is evocative of Bureau’s signature style—subtle yet completely humorous.
Bureau carries on the long tradition of Québec abstraction begun with such notables as Borduas, Riopelle, Molinari, and Gaucher. Known for his deep and sometimes unusual investigations into abstraction, Bureau employs materials ranging from traditional canvas and paper to cardboard and clay. Each investigation is thematic in form as well as in title, and his exhibition titles are always quirky and witty: “Florilege” in 1998 and “Out of Shape” in 2015. There is a logical and consistent evolution in his exploration of abstract art leading to revelatory and eye-pleasing results.
Paul Bureau’s work has been the focus of professional reviews, texts, and critical discourses by Robert Enright, Gary Michael Dault, Mark Lanctot, Rene Viau, James D. Campbell, John Bentley Mays, and his work earned a mentioned in Roald Nasgaard’s 2008 Abstract Painting in Canada. His work can be found in private, corporate, and public collections including those of the Royal Bank of Canada, Aldo Group, Art Bank of Canada, and Cenovus Energy. He has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions both nationally and internationally, and has participated in numerous art fairs in Europe and North America. Bureau earned both a BFA and MFA from Montréal’s Concordia University, and has since furthered his studies in Paris.