Bestiaire 4

A true free spirit, Alfred Pellan developed a hybrid and kaleidoscopic aesthetic, fusing Cubism, Surrealism, and Abstract art. His style is recognizable by its brilliant compositions, saturated with pure colors and organic or geometric shapes that seem to dance across the canvas. He often used varied textures, sometimes incorporating sand or glass to create relief. His works are fantastic gardens where the human figure blends with dreamlike symbols, creating a visual universe of unprecedented richness and freedom in Canada.

His artistic philosophy centered on the total freedom of the mind. For Pellan, art was to have no boundaries, whether moral or formal. Having lived in Paris during the 1930s, he brought a breath of subversion back to Quebec, firmly opposing religious and landscape academicism. His philosophy rested on the “Prisme d’Yeux”: a pluralistic and joyful vision of creation where the unconscious and play occupy center stage. He viewed painting as a feast for the senses and a quest for universal poetry, paving the way for all the artistic revolutions that would follow in Quebec.