A BIT OF POP ART IN MONTREAL - CHAPTER 2

David Altmejd "The Eye"
For some reason or another I had not been to the Beaux Arts museum in my previous trips to Canada. It's slightly off the beaten track but as I try not to take public transport when traveling regardless of distance, I had not trudged up and down the very boring streets to get there. It was certainly worth it. The David Altmejd greets you majestically. It’s called «The Eye» and is really a spectacular statue.

The main exhibition I wanted to see was the Tom Wesselmann - "Beyond Pop". I did not know anything about this artist although had quite obviously seen his work in posters or books. His name rang no bell at all. In 2007, I went to see Roy Liechtenstein at the Pinacothèque in Paris with Jerome and Laurent. They certainly knew his work infinitely better than I did. Not a discovery perhaps but Pop art has never been top on my list so have not detoured to see exhibitions. Today I try and ask myself why I don’t like something. This was not the objective in seeing Wesselmann’s work  but I wasn’t expecting to be in raptures about it. I wasn’t. It was the first retrospective in North America.
Entrance Image for the Expo.

Tom Wesselmann (1931-2004) was supposedly one of the greatest American artists associated with the Pop Art movement. Famous from the early 1960’s for his Great American Nudes and Still Life. This exhibition shows the evolution of his work and his love of the great French masters such as Ingres and Matisse which are very noticeable in nearly everything he does. His interpretation of art history along with Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol invented this Pop concept. I now knew this much about him but was to learn in the exhibition that  he was also a prolific song writer and devoted to country music. 

Green Camp Pond 1959


The first painting I came across - His first collage and mixed form, I really did like. Then his worked changed radically and went straight into the Great Nudes and the immediate influence of the Masters.


Great American Nude 20 1961
Drawing for Great American Nude 20



Great american Nude 26-1962



After his Great Nudes and Still life, he went onto another form of still life with his sunglasses, lipsticks, Smokers and Feet and breasts.



Still Life

Still life with Picasso




Still Life







Still Life 1960

Still Life

Still life
 If anything I really loved the studies he did for his huge paintings. These unfortunately I was not able to photograph. They are in many respects far more interesting because smaller than the final version of his works. Many of them are in 3 dimensions and would be very livable in a small space whereas his overpowering pictures would, in my book, need one wall in a Versailles chateau to breathe.

However you feel about his work, the influence of the masters is very present even to a tiny Picasso in one of his still life. Each reference is recognizable and I would think for many young people, curious young people, an invitation to see the originals of Matisse, Cezanne, Ingress or even Picasso.

Monica Nude with Cezanne 1962


This wander was over a couple of hours and I then moved onto the permanent collection and will also show you a couple of pieces I picked up from the Desgin section (well not really).

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