Artist Statement

When I was about twenty years old, I visited a rather unusual exhibition organized by the Museum of Quebec and introducing young new artists from Quebec, among which, Marius Dubois and Pierre Lussier. At the height of an abstract school of thought and with the beginning of conceptual art, some painters were adopting a stance and returning back to roots, dissatisfied with the pictorial tendencies predominating at the time.

Their modern representations were unlike any other, executed in details with a refinement of beauty that took the breath away and brought a breeze of fresh air, exalting cheerfulness and celebrating creation.

And there, these classical values and traditional techniques appeared to me in the bright light, exceeding from far in visual quality the works from the last century that I had seen before.

I then committed myself completely and became part of this movement to which other artists were already adhering to in Quebec, and about everywhere else on the planet, as I realised later. I now have the satisfaction to participate along with others to the survival of an art form that was thought to have disappeared, a species already on the way to extinction, stifled by the wave of academicism in modern art since the beginning of the century.

I want to paint for the pleasure of those in love with classical values, nature and its creator; for those who prefer to be surrounded by positivism and beauty.

Marcel Desbiens

Website: www.marceldesbiens.com
Email: art@marceldesbiens.com
Phone: 07 3397 2413 mobile 0409 641 426

Born on June 15, 1954, in Péribonka, Québec, Canada

Education:

1973 -1975 Sherbrooke Cegep, Fine Arts
Since 1975 Research and experimentation on the painting techniques.

Solo Exhibitions:

2006 Delshan Art Gallery, Modern Art, Melbourne, Australia
2005 Maria Perides Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
2004 Delshan Art Gallery, Modern Art, Melbourne, Australia
2003 Musee Louis Hemon, Peribonka, Quebec, Canada
2000 Galerie la corniche, Chicoutimi, Canada
1997 Delshan Art Gallery, Modern Art, Melbourne, Australia
1996 Valerie Cohen Fine Art Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
1994 "Le moment présent", Ipswich Regional Gallery, Ipswich, Australia
1992 "De la fiction à la réalité", exposition itinérante :
Centre culturel de Dolbeau, Dolbeau, Canada
Salon du Conseil régional de la culture, Jonquière, Canada
Promenade du Vieux-Québec, Québec, Canada
1985 Caisse Populaire de Sherbrooke-Est, Sherbrooke, Canada
1983 Galerie coopérative des arts visuels, Chicoutimi, Canada
1980 Galerie Menasen, Sherbrooke, Canada
1975 Café de la Cour, Québec, Canada

Group Exhibitions:

Since 1996 Tattersall's Club Landscape Prize, Brisbane, Australia
2004 Combined Brisbane Rotary Club Brisbane
2003 Combined Brisbane Rotary Club Brisbane
2002 Warwick Art Gallery Art Prize
2001 Works for the blues, Brisbane, Australia
1999 Verlie Just Town Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
Western Gallery, Toowoomba, Australia
1998 Alice Bale, Art Award, Melbourne, Australia
Ex. Cat. Smith & Stoneley Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
Redlands Art Awards, Cleveland, Australia
The Gold Medal Art Show, Melbourne, Australia
1995 "The Sky is the Limit", The Contemporary Art and Design Gallery, Brisbane,
"When Angels Prey", The Bauhaus Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
1994 "Drawing Connection", Metro Arts, Brisbane, Australia
Moreton Shire Exposition, Ipswich, Australia
1993 "Crossing", BEMAC - Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia
1989 "Rencontre parallèle", Montréal, Canada
1988 "Living Nature", Natural Sciences Museum, Ottawa, Canada
1986 "Du beau dans l'espace", Galerie de la B.C.P., Alma, Canada
1985 "Québec-France", Expo Prestige, Joliette, Canada
1984 Centre international d'art contemporain, Paris, France
Galerie Pierre Labrecque, Trois-Rivières, Canada
1975-84 Various exhibitions in different regions in Canada

Awards:

2004 Commended, Tattersall's Club Landscape Prize Brisbane, Australia
2003 Prize, Best Oil or Acrylic, Art Spectacular, The Combined Brisbane Rotary Clubs, Brisbane, Australia
1996 First prize, Tattersall's Club Landscape Prize Brisbane, Australia
1994 First prize, Moreton Shire Exposition, Ipswich, Australia
1989 Le prix d'excellence, Concours national des arts visuels, "Rencontre parallèle, Montréal, Canada

Mentions:

"Who is who of Australian Visual Artists", 1995
"Royaume aux cents trésors", Ed. Promotion Ad Librum, Canada, 1994 : p. 27, 94
Félix Vallée, "Le guide Vallée", 1986 et 1992, Montréal, Canada
Guy Fournier, "Mieux connaître", Roberval, Canada, 1986 : p. 34-36.
Clément Fortin, "Cent peintres rendent hommage à Maria Chapdelaine", C.F. ed.
Alma, Canada

Collections:

Domtar Inc., Dolbeau, Québec, Canada
Musée Louis-Hémon, Péribonka, Québec, Canada
Hotel de ville et Centre sportif, Girardville, Canada
Minto Construction Ltée, Ottawa, Canada
First Provincial Building Society, Ipswich, Australia
Caisse Populaire de Sherbrooke-Est, Sherbrooke, Canada
Caisse Populaire de Girardville, Girardville, Canada
Rydges Hotel, Southbank, Brisbane, Australia
Tattersall's Club, Brisbane, Australia
Ehime Women's College, Ehime, Japan

Catalogues:

"Ex. Cat.", Brisbane, Australia, 1998
"Le moment présent", Ipswich, Australia, 1994
"Drawing Connections", Brisbane, Australia, 1994
"Crossing", Brisbane, Australia, 1993
"Rencontre parallèle", Montréal, Canada, 1989
"Living Nature Vivante", Ottawa, Canada, 1988
"Sélection 1984", Paris, France, 1984

Artist Directories :

Queensland Art Workers Alliance, Australia
Queensland College of Art Library, Griffith University, Australia.
The Dictionary of Australian Artists, CD ROM, Maquarie University, Australia
Index of Canadian Artists (VisualArts)
Répertoire des artistes canadiens (Arts visuels) Ottawa, Canada

Represented by:

Galerie Bernard
3926 Rue Saint Denis, Montreal
Quebec, Canada
514 277 0770
514 973 0638
Gianguido Fucito
gianguido_fucito@hotmail.com

Delshan Gallery
1185 High Street, Armadale,
Melbourne 3143, Victoria, Australia
(03) 9822 9440
delshan@hyperlink.net.au
www.delshangallery.com

Main Street Gallery
167 Main Street, Montville, Queensland 4560
Australia
07 5478 5050
www.mainstreetgallery.com.au
info@mainstreetgallery.com.au

Harrison Galleries
294 Glenmore Rd Paddington
NSW 2021 Australia
02 9380 7100
www.harrisongalleries.com.au

Gadfly Gallery
131b Waratah Avenue
Dalkeith, WA 6009
Australia
P/F: +61 (0)8 9386 8369
www.gadflygallery.com

Updated 2-10-2006