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His Life |
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Pierre Séguin shares with you the artist life and his immense art legacy. |
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1950 to 1960 (Part 5) On April 9, 1949, Zadorozny received his diploma of the School of Art & Design of the Art Association of Montreal. The president of the Art Association at that time was Mr. Tranchemontagne and the director of the school, no one else but Arthur Lismer, a great figure of the Group of Seven. Both signed Zadorozny diploma. It was the beginning of an immense production period. First of all, our artist slowly gave up the oil on canvas to rather use the mixed media technique on paper. Already at that time this was unusual. As a matter of fact, you’ve got a nerve to abandon a “sure” medium for another less in demand. But Zadorozny didn’t want to please, he rather wanted to produce works that were alike him, spontaneous, impetuous, true. Oil was too demanding to handle for him. Drying time was too long. Canvas or rigid backing was more difficult to manipulate. Material cost was much higher. At this period, Zadorozny didn’t have any income from a remunerated job. Of course we saw him at the Museum hanging works. He gave a good hand to the curator and the commissioner, but his name was not on the payroll of the institution. He did this work as a volunteer, by passion, because he loved art and to be closer to works of the great Masters. At that time, the Museum received several donations and legacies from important families of Montreal. One of them, in 1955, was a substantial legacy of Horsley and Annie Townsend which made it possible for the Museum to acquire Canadian and foreign works. Other funds came from the new magnates of the industry, such Joseph-Arthur Simard, who offered to the Museum, in 1959, a remarkable collection of 3 000 Japanese incense boxes having belonged to the French statesman George Clémenceau. Zadorozny wanted to have a ringside seat when new works arrived at the Museum. He wanted to be the first to see these treasures; this was so stimulating for his artistic fibre. All these works were an invaluable source of inspiration. Just like anyone else he could not only live on love and fresh water. Even though his works were great and beautiful it wasn’t enough to make a living for a young family. At that point in time an industrialist accustomed to the various fashionable activities of the Museum where our artist worked as a volunteer noticed this elegant and proud man and offered him a painter job in his factory. I am convinced Zadorozny wasn’t very enthusiastic about this job. On the other hand he was getting a regular income. This didn’t prevent the artist of being an artist! Zadorozny was sketching every day, His many pads and notebooks, which he will keep all his life, prove it. Once the sketches were done, he could paint one or two complete works per day. This was the reason he had abandon oil. He wanted to see the final work quickly. He was impatient and impulsive. We can feel the passion in the works he painted during this period. Like Marc-Aurèle Fortin, he was using easily transportable material: ink, pastels, charcoal and watercolour. He could produce on almost any support, almost anywhere. Did Fortin also influence his watercolour technique on dry paper and his impressionist touch? We will never know. To be continued... |
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My brother was a well known artist (Part 1)
Some seven or eight
years ago, a lawyer and his wife came to the gallery that was then
located on Perrot boulevard, they came with artworks they wanted to have
an evaluation for.
As the conversation was going on we realized that my father who was
registrary at the bankruptcy court of Montreal knew this lawyer and
his associate well and that they also had common friends. What a small world!
Then later on during the conversation the lady told me: "my brother was
a well known artist, he just died, his name was Andreï Zadorozny, do you
know him?" In this business you meet many people who know a good
artist who is a close relation, a brother, a sister, an uncle, an aunt
or any other relationship. So, politely I answered that I didn’t know
him. At once she asked me if I would have a look at some of his
paintings? and she repeated: "You know my brother was a renowned watercolour painter."
I should confess that, at that time, I wasn’t particularly found of
this medium but as I never refuse to see an artist portfolio, (another
Picasso is walking somewhere) I mentioned to her that I would be pleased
to take a quick look at them. Consequently we agreed that she would come to
the gallery in the next few weeks. A few days later I received a phone call from her asking me "instead of me going to the gallery would you come to my house this evening, we are living very close in Kirkland, it would be easier to show you the works?" Wanting to be nice and a little for the friendship that existed between my father and her husband I agreed to go. But there, that evening, in their house, is born this love story between me and this great painter, Andreï M. Zadorozny. |
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Discovering the
artist
(Part 2) Here I was, in Kirkland, in the house of Zadorozny sister. As I came in the residence, I felt this intimate atmosphere in spite of the big hall I was standing in. The superb staircases that lead to the second floor already presented many artworks. Among those was a small wooden sculpture representing a naked woman that was very "Fifties". This was the first work of Zadorozny that will have caught my attention. Then the visit of the house started. In every room were art works of various artists. They had in common that most of them had been close to Zadorozny at a given time in their career. Should it be Harold Beament or Léo Ayotte, they had taken part in exhibitions with Zadorozny; they had painted together or had passionate conversations on their one-life passion, ART. As the visit went on, Zadorozny watercolours held my attention more and more. She was right; her brother was a great artist. As we quickly visited the first floor I started to be in a hurry to see more. What we did without delay. I wasn’t expecting much and here I was all excited with the idea of looking at more watercolours! In front of me document-cases were laying full of art works. The lady of the house opened them one after the other in a hurry to convince me of her brother’s talent. But it didn’t give me the time to look at each work well. I was amazed at such enormous talent. The artworks I contemplated dated from the Fifties and Sixties and carried this force of the after-war years. The drawing was very dynamic and sharp. The colours and the tones were strong and precise. I had to slow down my hostess: "Madam, so much beauty can only be appreciated a little at a time. We have to take our time. You don’t have to convince me anymore of this man’s talent; for me, it’s love at first sight." A few hours later, I left this house overwhelm with enchantment. I had been in contact with works of a master. I had in my pocket the co-ordinates of his widow and I hoped to have the privilege of presenting some of her husband works in my gallery. What a wonderful evening! |
 Sculpture dated VIII,56,2 27,5" x 2,5" x 2,5"
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Discovering the collection (Part 3) Following this evening of discovery at Zadorozny’s sister place I have now the information to contact the artist widow. This is my first contact with Mrs. Picard. After the first civilities I mention that I would like to present few works of her husband at my gallery. She tells me that she will come by the gallery and that we will then discuss about it. I now have an appointment with her and I am anxious to meet with the woman who shared the artist life during almost 30 years. Mrs. Picard met Andreï on the Mount-Royal at the beginning of the seventies. This place was the artist favourite one when he was painting outside, in Montréal. That was in spring or at the beginning of the summer. Andreï wasn’t talking a lot while he was painting. But this young woman was unobtrusive, setting back, looking at him with admiration dazzled by how much he was controlling the medium; and also because he had always been attracted by women, they started exchanging few words. Andreï understood that Suzanne loved painting; she was herself painting; and as he himself loved talking about his passion for painting, they established a friendship that became love with time. A meeting at the gallery is scheduled with Mrs. Picard so we can know each other better. When she comes, she visits the gallery and I wonder if she will accept to leave few of Zadorozny’s works at my gallery; she accepts. We talk about Andreï’s career and Mrs. Picard tells me a little about the artist life she had with him. Before leaving she tells me that she has promised to Andreï that he will get back the recognition he had for many years. At the end of our meeting, she invites me to come to her house at Saint-Adolphe-d’Howard to select the works I would like to present at the gallery. An offer I can definitely not refuse. Following this first visit to the artist retreat, I presented few works. People reception was good and we decided to have a solo exhibition in October 2002. This was a new start for Zadorozny. |
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The beginning of a brilliant career
(Part 4) After my visit at Zadorozny’s studio in the Laurentians I realized the importance and the extent this artist played, not only in Montréal but a in Canada and the United States as well. Have I told you where this artist is from? No. Well, Andrei is born in Ukraine in 1921. He studied art as of his early childhood in Warsaw then in Prague. He emigrated in Canada with his family in 1937. Just like many families they were running away from war. In Ukraine the family was wealthy but they had to resign to a more modest life once arrived in Canada. Even though, Andreï couldn’t do without art and he was teaching theatre out West and drawing continuously. Once installed in Montreal, he was describing Canada as “… a large tree. From Ontario towards West, there are leaves and branches. They are beautiful, prosperous, but superficial. Here, in the province of Québec, we find roots. We feel the tradition, the continuity and the solidity which promise to last''. In this state of mind, we understand better his motivation and his desire to accomplish himself. This quotation was published in the edition of October 8, 1950 of the weekly newspaper Le Petit Journal under the signature of Henri Poulin. A bulky book of press clippings indicates the popularity and the implication Zadorozny had in the world of visual arts. The first articles written on him date back at the end of the Forties. An important fact is that French as well as English newspapers spoke about him. He exhibited sometimes in the East of Montréal sometimes in the West. The language and the social background do not seem to influence his relationship with people. He binded friendship with Léo Ayotte, Robert Roussil and Mousseau with whom he exhibited at the Librairie Tranquille. He always remained very close to Arthur Lismer who signed his diploma of Fine Arts in 1949. They painted and exhibited together at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, then at the Winnipeg Art Gallery and also at the Vancouver Museum, to name a few. He maintained close relationship with several artists in the anglophone community. Gordon Pfeifer, Harold Beament and John Walsh are often associated to Zadorozny in art exhibitions. He is photographed here while hanging an artwork at the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts where he worked as a handy-man at the end of the Fifties. In an article in the newspaper Le Haut Parleur, published on October 22, 1950, Charles Doyon wrote after a second exhibition of Zadorozny at Librairie Tranquille : “In the end, Zadorozny is very impressive with his colours and the last impression left is one of a young painter that has the calibre to become a master and who is in the process of creating a new style''. In the Photo Journal of November 3, 1956 the journalist Jean Hamelin wrote “Zadorozny is the one who catches everyone’s eye the longest. He starts to understand the imposing wilderness of our forest and mountains, especially in the fall, a season when our landscape is most typically Canadian''. In the Forties and Fifties we record nearly twenty exhibitions or demonstrations and we see more and more articles in the newspapers. |
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