More Info on the Artist




ROBERT-EMILE FORTIN (Written by: Gaston Therrien)


Birth:          - December 19, 1945 in Hull, Quebec, Canada

Education:      - University of Ottawa (Arts) 1968 to 1970
		- Algonquin College 1971 (graphism) Ottawa
		- Ottawa School of Arts, 1973 (painting), 1988 (drawing)

Grants:       	- Ontario Arts Council 1976 and 1977

Teaching:	- Painting woorkshops in many primary and high schools in the Ottawa/Hull
		  region in 1976 to 1981
		- Silkscreen workshops at Kinshasa's Fine Art Academy in Zaire, 1985
		- Painting and silkscreen classes at the artist's studio
		- Television classes for Rogers Cablevision in Ottawa 25 hours in 1993 
		  and 1994  ((available on video tapes))

Publications:	- Fortin, Robert-Emile  -  Comment devenir artiste-peintre professionnel,                               
                1993 (100 pages written and illustrated by the artist)

                - Le traineau du Père Noël by Lise-Anne Pilon Delorme, édition Pierre de  
                Lune, 1994. Winner of a contest for the illustration of this children tale 
                with 10 paintings. Official book release at the National Art Gallery of
                Canada, Ottawa, with the exhibition of the paintings in December 1994.

Bibliograpy:	- Bruens, Louis - Investir dans les oeuvres d'art, Edition La Palette,                     
		- De Roussan, Jacques - Hull et sa peinture, Roussan éditeur inc., 1990.                
		- MagazinArt, International Edition, Les peintres naïfs - Robert Emile Fortin                 
		  4 ième année, no.2, Winter 1991, p.31
		- Robert, Guy - Le collectionneur art magazine, Vol VII, No.26, 1990, p.58-                
		- Therrien, Gaston - Robert-Emile Fortin, Edition Marcel Broquet, collection 
		  Signature , 1989, 104 pages and 100 color illustations. 
		- Trepanier, Jean - Cent peintres du Québec , Editions Hurtubise HMH, 1980.
		- Vallée, Félix - Marché de l'art - Guide Vallée , second édition,
                  Guide Vallée (1992) Inc., 1993, p.496. 

Publication:
		  Charles Huot Inc., 1989, p.260.
		- Vallée, Felix - Marché de l'art - Guide Vallée , third édition, 
                  Edition Le  Catalogues:	 
                  Art Expo California 1990 et 1991
 		- National Art Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
		- Contemporary Art Museum, Montreal
		- Quebec Modern Art Museum
		- Ontario Art Gallery
		- Winnipeg Art Gallery
		- Museem of Civilization, Hull

Also, a large number of articles were published in many newspapers accross Quebec and Ontario. Participated regularly in television and radio interviews on the national and local networks, among which a 30 minutes documentry on the life and carreer of the artist Robert-Emile Fortin. Collections: CHEO, Municipalities of Ottawa, Hull, Gatineau, Toronto, Montreal, many Cabinet Ministers, Air canada, Ottawa Senators, Hull Olympics, many local Hotels, Journal Le Droit, National Capital Commission, Caisse Populaire du Quebec Federation, several Banks, Separate School Board of Ontario, several Museum, National Institude of Civil Aviation, National IndianArt and Craft Corporation, University of Ottawa, CCIC, IIFGAC, Canadian Senat, National Library of Canada,National Librairy of Quebec, Vanier Library, CIBC, Dorel Industries, Toronto Human Society, Victoria Chamber of Commerce, Tottori University Japan, Hagihara Industries of Tokyo, etc... Also, many art gallery owners in Canada, USA, Europe and Japan. Robert-Emile Fortin is a professionnal artist since 1973. Between 1973 and 1980 he participated in over twenty group art exhibitions in the Ottawa\Hull region, Montreal, Toronto, Victoria, B.C. and USA. In 76 and 78 he spend a lot of time in creating two murals of enormous proportions located in the main lobbies of the Canadian International Dervelopment Agency (5' X 40' wide) and the Quebec Goverment Services (7' X 12' wide) both in Hull Quebec. The first mural is the largest and most important work using in famous impasso\cloisonnee technique that only the artist utilizes. Since the beginning of his career, Fortin also participated in more than one hundred solo exhibitions in Canada only, covering the country from East to West, by showing in Exhibition Centres, in Museums, in prestigious Art Galleries as well as Art Fairs and Shows. He exhibited in the United States, France, Switzerland, Japan and also in Africa at the Fine Art Academy in Kinshasa, Zaire. In 1985, a very important retrospective of his paintings and silkscreens was presented by Wallack's Galleries in Ottawa and in 1989 the Ottawa Art Exchange Gallery showcased the most important exhibition of his career featuring more the one hundred large acrylics on canvas, mixed-media and sculptural installations. In September 1990, he participated in Hull et sa peinture exhibition organized by the prize winning Galerie Montcalm in Hull for the launching of the book on the same subject. He participated in Art Expo CAL in October, and many paintings were purchased for several Japan Galleries for exhibition in December 1990 in Osaka. In 1991 he started a typical season in April with an exhibition at his studio for his large clientel of his new winter works. Participated in four Spring and Summer festivals and in October he showed in Art Expo CAL for the second time. In October he exhibited in New York and completed the season at the First International Art Show in Toronto. In 1992 he participated in exhibitions in Gatineau, Hull, Ottawa, but the most important events of the year were his solo exhibition on Crazy Art at the Maison de la Culture in Gatineau in November and participated in the exhibition for the official opening of the Centre d'art Morency in Montreal. He finished the season by exhibiting at the 5th anniversary of the Ottawa Art Gallery. Mediums: Acrylic paints on canvas and silscreens in very limited editions, always hand-cut and hand-pulled, are the two priviledged mediums by Fortin. But he also realized metallic sculptures and various installations using all kind of materials, watercolors, washed ink drawings, charcoal drawings and various drawings with experimental mediums. He also likes using mixed-media (specially collages incorporated in his acrylics) and he created acrylics on sweaters. His talents are also required on a commercial basis for works such as conception of posters and buttons, exclusive art cards and drawing for T-shirts. Career: Professional artist for over twenty years, Fortin started in 1972 and till 1976 he painted only abstracts in rejection of his graphic work from his goverment job as a graphist which he just quit to devote more time to his new found career. Between 1976 and 1978 he realizes two hugh murals. The first one, L'histoire d'un homme( incomplete), 5' X 40' wide is the most important work realized with the impasso\cloisonnee technique or baker technique that only him uses on a regular basis. This work represents the first major phase of his career. It is also a strong statement on his views about life, society, family, frienship, spiritual values, metaphysical beliefs, etc... He started in 1976 his passage toward figurative works with acrylic paintings of naive folklorique style which he pursues intensively till 1983. In 1984 he trows himself at silkcreen printing like a wild and mad artist. It becomes his priviledges means of expression for his naive style. It's instant success and produces only silkscreen prints in very limited editions (from 15 to 45 numbered prints). It's interesting to note that with his silkscreen technique he creates many abstract works. In August 1988, he was commissioned to paint a naive painting on canvas. Since the prices quadruple in four years, he decided in December of the same year to quit silkscreen printing and spend his time doing what he loves the most, painting in acrylic. Again he started with abstract paintings which he paints to this day. Since going back to painting, Fortin combines the two styles by alternating periods or by mixing abstract and figurative genre together. His production is phenomenal reaching nearly 10,000 works of art in twenty four years. He as the ability to juge his work and he regularly destroys many painting that didn't reach his standards of quality. He does so many exhibitions that it is hard to follow his development and critics knows him only through certain periods and styles. For instance in the summer on 1992 he produced 100 larges abstract acrylic paintings and in the fall he worked on most demanding figurative naive works, sometime spending a full month to create a masterpiece. 1993 was a pivotal year for him in the figurative field because his high degree of execution brought him to new heights and new price range. In 1994 he spent eight months producing illustrations for his first children book, Le traineau du Pere Noel. In 1995 he bought a litho press and industrial camera to further his development but changed his mind and bought a graphic computer to experiment with modern technology. Always avantgarde, Fortin discovered Internet and decided to show himself to the public at large and share his wonderfull sense of humor and naivety. Feel free to comunicate with the artist at robemile.fortin@sympatico.ca or visit his Web Site at http://www3.sympatico.ca/robemile.fortin/index.html (your there obviously, sorry!)



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To reach R.E. Fortin : 1(819)324-9585 or e-mail : robemile.fortin@sympatico.ca