THE CHAPARONES GROW OLD

 

    If you read the following story, you will understand the depth and history of our feelings for Felicien and this collection,  but Barbara, Gary and I are now in our sixties. The passion for Felicien’s art is being transplanted by a more immediate need…..bringing to a conclusion this endeavor and finding a new home for this collection. It seems such a shame to break up this family of creations, to separate the kinfolk members, leaving them never to be seen together again. It just doesn’t feel right to us. This composition of art works has brought us more enjoyment over the years than most of our worldly possessions. Although we are quick to admit that it probably is our warped sense of interpreting life that drives our passion, there must be some other person, institution or group who shares our quirkiness and would value this collection. Please let us know if it is you….if not, please enjoy looking at the art of Felicien Levesque.

 

COLLECTOR'S FORWARD

 

 

     It has been our good fortune over the past forty five years to have been involved in a business which necessitated international travel.  This travel, to thirty five countries, coupled with a long love affair with folk art, has afforded us the opportunity to assemble several different collections of art.  These collections originate in Africa, Canada, Japan, Mexico, and New Guinea.

     I originally became aware of the existence of a unique art form coming from Quebec, ironically not through my business travel, but through books and my many visits to art and antique fairs in New England.  It was on one of these sojourns that I first stumbled onto Felicien Levesque's work in the mid 1970's; about twenty five of his pieces were in the barn of folk art collectors, Mr. and Mrs. George Finckel, in Bennington, Vermont.   George was a wonderful man; cellist, music professor, and inspirer, but what was most apparent about George, was that he had a passionate obsession for his visions, and the art of Felecien Levesque had set his mind reeling.

     George's interaction with Felicien over the years had a great effect on the subject matter and the direction of Levesque's work.  George Finckel's influence lasted for ten years from the early 1970's to the early 1980's, at which point health problems constrained his travel and activities.  He would be most happy to know that the folk art he believed in and advocated through all of those years would become a large part of the first Levesque collection purchased by the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa, the museum with the largest folk art collection in Canada.  We thank George for including us in his effort to preserve Felicien's work, especially during this time, which coincided with Levesque's most prolific artistic period.

     After viewing those original twenty or thirty pieces in George Finckel's barn, I was immediately "smitten", and in my excitement I had to share this with my mate and wife to be, Barbara, who joined in the excitement. I also called my brother Gary.  A few days later he examined the pieces, and was likewise convinced of the value of the work.  When one is searching for folk art, it is unusual to find groups of pieces that stimulate that unique feeling of dither, much like a new love, it releases chemicals to your brain and seems to expand your mind.  Barbara and Gary's joining me in this unique experience has created a wonderful bond between us, and the continued years of collecting has given us a single mind about Levesque's art.

     Although the Finckel collection was not for sale during the 1970s, Gary and I were allowed access to admire and document the pieces.  Gary first started our actual involvement with the work by doing a photographic study of the Finckel's collection in 1980. He then traveled to Quebec along with George in the spring of 1981 for his first meeting with Levesque.  The man was as fascinating as his subject matter and this prompted us to continue making trips north to Quebec. As Gary related to me : " When I first met Felicien Levesque I was immediately taken by his gentle nature and honest happiness.  It was so easy to see the man in his work.  He would sit at his work bench, hold up a work in progress, and point to a part that made him laugh heartily".  You could see the enjoyment he gained from his craft, although we really don't think he thought of it as a craft, just something he loved to do.  He was truly thrilled in seeing other people take delight in his work.  We remember during our summer trips that when we reached Cacouna and pulled into his driveway, there in the yard would be just a hint of what he had been busy creating throughout the long cold winter. After briefly exchanging greetings, he would bring us to the cellar of his home where there would be displayed on shelf after shelf, cars, boats, and indescribable nature scenes. His face would light up with a smile as he witnessed our appreciation of his work.  I think this is what we remember most...when we recall our trips and Felicien...his smiles for our appreciation of his work.

     Forty years and one hundred pieces later, both Gary and I are still captivated by the art of Felicien Levesque.

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

 

     Throughout the world, there lie small pockets or areas where inhabitants traditionally express themselves in a particular way that brings international attention to their visual interpretations of life.  Often these expressions are developed through centuries of trained apprenticeship and constant refinement of their craft.  Just as often, the artists are not trained, leaving the naive quality in the technical aspects of the work to generate the emotions in the art.  The result is an art form not produced by skill, but by desire and compulsion.  The expressions of humor and drama are well understood by those who view the work, and it is that naive overstatement, caused by the lack of technical ability, which articulates the impressions with such power and clarity.

 

..... "Folk artists are most often self taught, (outsiders), non-conformists who operate outside the prescribed and established traditions of art; they are creators with a rare, innate sense of creation that has been left untouched by the rules of art and aesthetic conventions" [1]

 

....."Originally, folk artists represented their communities, and their compositions were perceived as witnesses to collective tastes and beliefs.  Today, large numbers of folk artists express themselves more as individuals, and their work increasingly reveals personal dimensions." [2]

 

    

     From an area of the world where life has been traditionally hard, comes an art whose humor and understanding seems so full of appreciation and joy in the simple.  It is the art of the common people of Quebec, and it is the cultural history of this area that drives the soul of this collective art form.

 

....."Folk art in Canada reveals a feeling for life, a feeling nurtured by memories, drawn from moments of tenderness, and expressed in the restless stirrings of countless imaginations.  Framed by tradition and shaped by experience, the feelings come from the heart, and are shared by us all.  Folk art is our art, the reflection of a search for our roots and our destiny - a search that never ends." [3]

 

      Following the path of his or her own imagination, an occasional artistic wanderer tests the boundaries of this undefined collective movement of folk artists.  These people have become known as the Patenteux, and Felicien Levesque has the honor of being considered among the best.

 

 ....."Patenteux, stemming from the English word patent, entered the French Canadian joual around the end of the last century to refer to a person who invents useful mechanical devices, a tinker, handyman.  Later it came to include the making of more purely aesthetic objects like...lawn sculptures.  Many artists use the term patenteux about themselves." [4]

 

....."With the collection of works by the patenteux, the vision of folk art is turned upside down.  First of all, semantics have come full circle: a derisory term that was used disparagingly to describe a tinkerer's activity is now used to glorify the art of humility. In the spirit that reigned in Quebec in the early 1970's, the word took on a new connotation and became the standard-bearer of this throw away creation.  Louise de Grosbois, Raymonde Lamothe and Lise Nantel, who sparked the discovery of the patenteux, were not professionals in the field; they were ethnologists in their own right.  These art students with their meager grants, who set out to investigate the culture of the common people, actually inaugurated a revolutionary practice by restoring voice to those who were entitled to it." [5]  

 

.....For the first time, the artists themselves were able to describe their work in words filled with simplicity and fantasy.  Before, the emphasis on the aesthetic qualities of the objects had neglected a major aspect of their creativity, expressed here in the unadorned speech of those who had never spoken for themselves.  The results of this study of the folk creators of nine regions of Quebec were published in a beautiful book ...LES PATENTUEX DU QUEBEC." [6]' [7]

  

 

THE ARTIST

 

 

     Felicien Levesque was born in 1915 in L'isle Verte, nestled in the region of Quebec commonly referred to as the lower St. Lawrence.  He lastly resided in Cacouna where he passed in 1997, and once told us that he had always lived within a day's bicycle trip from his birthplace. His family is very private and quite protective of Felicien's story, but through information gained from an interview by Willie Finckel in 1981, and questions asked over our many trips to Cacouna, we have been able to piece together this short biography.

      Levesque began carving about fifty years ago to decorate the yard, as do many rural people, with whirly-gigs on the fences, and small houses scattered about the lawn.  He had always used a pen knife to do repair work; to fix a shattered wheel or make a broken chair usable. It was a practical requirement for many isolated family members.  An early life of extreme poverty and hard conditions had given him experiences which could be recalled, as he stated:

 

....." now that I have some time to sit." [8]

 

     Felicien spent 40 years working for the same peat moss factory, first as a sod cutter, and then for 27-28 years as a mechanic.  It was there that he learned the skills that would later allow him to produce sculptures with mechanical and electrical movement.  His mechanical aptitude was also expressed in his hobby of restoring cars.  This hobby was shared with his son, who was employed at a local garage.

     Life on the St. Lawrence for young Levesque was spent around boats, with his free time usually devoted to fishing.  He did not start to create folk art until later in his life, with the most productive output coming after his retirement.  He started with life scenes of Quebec. The following period consisted of boats and boating themes, illustrated by his many sinking and collision events. Around 1977 Felicien's work started to include subjects with a musical bend, showing the strong influence of cellist George Finckel.  Later years revealed an eclectic confluence of autos and farm wagons, and a final period incorporated a mixture of all earlier styles.  Close study of pieces from all of these cycles reveals the complexity of Levesque's art.  Unfolding social commentary manifests itself throughout, giving us a deeper message, and a glimpse of the perplexing side of the artist.  During his productive years, summers were spent tending his large garden and selling his folk art.  The same room that was used to create the folk art over the long cold winters, gathered with his family around the warm stove, with his family often assisting in some aspects of the production, became the showroom in summer for the completed works. The yard in summer also displayed a combination of decorations for personal "not for sale at any price" art, as well as those which would be sold to a lucky passerby. "Negotiations" were usually conducted by Mrs. Levesque, who seemed to want to protect Felicien from his own generous nature. As related to me later by Willie Finckel;

 

....."After negotiations were over and we had made our purchases, we would make plans for future works while rocking in the large chairs in the living room. If George or I made a demand that we felt was perhaps too extreme in the carving or mechanization, Felicien would take out his pen knife, hold it erect with thumb in the air, and say with a certain swagger ..'J'suis capable!' " [9]

 

     As mentioned earlier, Felicien was very private about his craft. Late in his life I asked him if he had ever taken photos of his creations. He did not, so  I asked if he would enjoy photos of what we had collected. He said yes, so we prepared and brought a booklet of photos to him on our next trip. He was elated. His eyes got wide and his smile large. He loved his art. I then told him that we were thinking of an exibition of our collection in the U.S. He got very angry and would not speak to us for a long time. Mrs. Levesque would take our phone calls and suggested that we wait until he passed. She did not explain why he felt that way, but we complied. I understand Pascal Galipeau received this same response when she

visited Felicien to interview him for her book "Les Paradis Du Monde" and for the

exibition under the same name at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in 1995.

 

     Felicien continued to produce folk art until his very late years. Although, age had unavoidably influenced his workmanship, I am sure the sheer joy of creating still replenished his soul.

 

 

THE ART AND VARIATION OF PATENTEUX.

 

 

     Like folk art and folk artists from any culture, Quebec's Patenteux are subject to the ever-changing influence of society.  The origin of this form of art, which may be related to the decoration or personalization of utilitarian objects, has, evolved through the years, and been modified to flourish in seemingly limitless variations.

 

....."If we restrict ourselves to folk art, it may be true that part of what is produced by this form of creation can be seen as a type of cultural protest.  But this is by no means a protest made by individuals who are free of all cultural influence; this is not the struggle of the individual against an oppressive society.  If there is a struggle, it's that of one cultural form against another; the culture of the elite, so dear to cultural institutions and art historians, being challenged by the culture of ordinary people who sometimes present, admittedly, a greater variety of currents that are also more subject to change, more open to outside influence and consequently less traditional, more inventive and improvisational - more unpredictable, in fact." [10]

 

....."Contemporary folk art in Canada has become progressively detached from the traditions that tied it to the utilitarian, and is becoming more directly oriented toward objects that produce aesthetic pleasure.  This does not prevent it from being an eminently functional art, a carrier of narrative or dramatic content.  Many of its themes, symbols and motifs remain rooted in tradition, although they are expressed with a sense of spontaneity and fantasy.  In this way, Canadian folk artists reflect the sensibility of all Canadians, and contribute in their own way to the development of a national consciousness." [11]

 

     The particular art of Felicien Levesque has obviously been heavily influenced not only by the local culture, as shown in the boats of the Saint Lawrence, the animal powered vehicles and the varied work scenes, but also by the normal pressure of the marketplace.  In the case of this artist, the marketplace found its way to his door.  Many times, Levesque's work would be "ordered" by his customers, and there was always repeated productions of a work that may have sold quickly.  How many objects of art Levesque produced is not known, but it is established to be in the several hundreds.

 

 

....."Objects of folk art originally had an agreed-upon function in a community, whether it was strictly utilitarian or the expression of a meaningful idea or tradition.  The artists worked for their personal satisfaction and that of their immediate group.  Now, however, dealers, collectors and museums have contributed to the creation of a folk-art market subject to the laws of all markets - the demand for goods.  The pressure of the market carries the folk artist farther and farther toward the expression of purely aesthetic considerations.  Many folk artists no longer produce simply for their own satisfaction or for that of their communities.  They may orient their works to the tastes of a larger audience, and concentrate on supplying the demand for a particular type of object." [12]

 

    

THE OBJECTS AND COLLECTION

 

 

     When I look at Felicien Levesque's objects, they speak to me.  They speak of humor and they speak of hard work, attention to detail, passion in creating, and the yearning to please.  But if there is anything that holds this collection together, that defines it as unique to one particular artist, it is the underlying theme of the unexpected "twist".  Witness the person whose legs are on backwards, the man with the giant tongue stuck out, or the enormous breasts on the women, pianos that are smaller than people, a pig with a man sticking out of its mouth, the man riding a chicken, and drowning victims-feet up!  His pieces make you long for an explanation but it just isn't there.  Did he see something?  Was he looking for that certain eccentricity?  Or did he get an idea and ride with it, like the man on the chicken...holding on to the reins, wondering where it would take him.  The original concept of a work in progress probably changed many times in his mind as he was creating.  What triggered the final outcome?  Was it a particular piece of wood or other material that he found, which fit the application?  Or was it his unique sense of humor that made him search each scene for its unexpected moment?  Collector and author Florence Laffal states:

 

....." Although levesque's carvings are often straightforward i.e., his mustachioed bon vivant figures enjoying a ride or a game - there are puzzling aspects in his work.  For one, the faces of his figures are painted white, black, pink, or gray in seemingly random fashion within a composition.  Another curious feature: figures of varying sizes are placed in juxtaposition, upsetting the expected order of things." [13]

 

    His lack of order and his disregard for proportion becomes charming, and we wonder if Felicien even noticed.  Was it a consideration, a plan?  Felicien's moods seem to reflect themselves in the spirit with which he treats the details of the individual pieces.  A quaint car may contain a rumble seat with lovers, thereby changing the way we view it.  Amorous body language exists in several pieces, the best example being "dance me to the end of love", where a couple is portrayed in passionate anticipation.  Is he teasing us?  Is he prompting a response?  Is he being mischievous?  Compare the "country dentist" to the "city dentist".  The painful method of tooth extraction in the "country dentist" is exaggerated to sheer comedy.  Why, in figure 44 is the man sitting and aiming the cannon named "Sir"?  Look at the janus-faced passengers in the horse and wagon.  In all other respects, the carriage is normal, but Levesque was compelled to say something, to engrave his personal stamp.  On that day, it just wasn't enough to make a nice horse and wagon.

     Details in his pieces fashioned through the use of waste articles,( such as blown out light bulbs, old bottle caps, plastic container tops, pieces of metal, wire, rubber, fur, and glass,) were probably meaningful only because of their shapes and the economy of their use.  One must remember that the cost of materials played its role in the creations.

 

....." In viewing the patenteux works, what strikes us first is the eclectic nature of both the materials and techniques employed in their creation. The materials are base, to say the least - whatever was at hand was used, with no link whatsoever to the materials of the old school.  We are far from precious woods and gold leaf: in their stead, we find plywood, beer bottle caps, javex bottles - anything could be grist for the mill.  As for technique, we immediately note that the great craft traditions that were passed down through the generations have died out." [14]

 

     Together as a collection, these hundred plus pieces are representative of Felicien Levesque's work over a period of more than twenty years.  The various subject matter and styles he developed during this period are all present.  What do they mean?  How are we to consider this work?  I can only answer for myself, but what I feel when I see these objects, is similar to what I felt as a child anticipating an exciting discovery.  Whether it were Christmas or a mere moment of wonderment, that sense of intense fascination is repeated as I view Felicien's work, and has not diminished with the passage of time.

 

....." When are we finally going to realize that definition is impossible?" he begins. "Neither individualism nor the respect of values central to the group are criteria that specifically define folk art or distinguish it from academic art.  Both folk art and official art have their own constraints.  Naturally, in the case of folk art these come from church, family and leaders and therefore tend to be more informal, while in the case of official art, the constraints imposed by schools, academies and museums are necessarily more formal.  But these are not natural differences, particularly since with the growing popularity of folk art today, we see the appearance of constraints that are increasingly similar to those of academic art coming from professional collectors, antique dealers, museums and the like.  As for individual originality, we find it in both forms of creation.  Let's admit once and for all that official art and folk art are both social fields, areas of activity in which human beings adopt rules that allow room for innovation, of course, but which nonetheless must be respected if we want to play the game." [15]

 

     However you may personally choose to consider this collection, I sincerely believe that if you view these objects with an open mind and heart, you will feel his presence...his humor, his opinions and his emotions.  You will feel the life of Felicien Levesque.

 

 

 

 

[1] Mauro Peressini, LES PARADIS DU MONDE - L'art populaire du Quebec (Ottawa: CANADIAN MUSEUM OF CIVILIZATION, 1995) 33.

 

 

[2] Crepeau, Blanchette, Einarsson, Inglis, Mattie, Tilney, FROM THE HEART - Folk Art In Canada (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, in cooperation with NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MAN, NATIONAL MUSEUMS OF CANADA, 1983) 14.

 

 

[3] Crepeau, Blanchette, Einarsson, Inglis, Mattie, Tilney, FROM THE HEART - Folk Art In Canada (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, in cooperation with NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MAN, NATIONAL MUSEUMS OF CANADA, 1983) 10.

 

 

[4] Pierre Gauvreau 1979, "Edmond Chatigny, patenteux*," CANADIAN ART Summer 1995: Vol. 12 No. 2.

 

 

[5] Jean Simard, POUR PASSER LE TEMPS - Artistes populaires du Quebec (Quebec: Les Publications du Quebec, Cahiers du Patrimoine, 1985) No.17, p.15.

 

 

[6] Louise Degrosbois, Raymonde Lamothe, Lise Nantel, LES PATENTEUX DU QUEBEC (Montreal: Editions Parti-Pris, 1974, Reprint 1978).

 

 

[7] Pascale Galipeau, LES PARADIS DU MONDE - l'art populaire du Quebec (Ottawa: CANADIAN MUSEUM OF CIVILIZATION, 1995) 119-120.

 

 

[8] Taken from Willie Finckel's notes in 1981.

 

 

[9] As related to Jeanne Dupras Trimarchi and Robert J. Wincuinas, Bennington, Vermont, December 22, 1995.

 

 

[10] Mauro Peressini, LES PARADIS DU MONDE - L'art populaire du Quebec (Ottawa: CANADIAN MUSEUM OF CIVILIZATION, 1995) 40.

 

 

[11] Crepeau, Blanchette, Einarsson, Inglis, Mattie, Tilney, FROM THE HEART - Folk Art In Canada (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, in cooperation with NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MAN, NATIONAL MUSEUMS OF CANADA, 1983) 15.

 

 

[12] Crepeau, Blanchette, Einarsson, Inglis, Mattie, Tilney, FROM THE HEART - Folk Art In Canada (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, in cooperation with NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MAN, NATIONAL MUSEUMS OF CANADA, 1983) 14.

 

 

[13] Florence Laffal, Jules Laffal, "FELICIEN LEVESQUE," FOLK ART FINDER Gallery Press Vol. 5, No.2 (1984): 5-6.

 

 

[14] Pascale Galipeau, LES PARADIS DU MONDE - L'art populaire du Quebec (Ottawa: CANADIAN MUSEUM OF CIVILIZATION, 1995) 123.

 

 

[15] Mauro Peressini, LES PARADIS DU MONDE - L'art populaire du Quebec (Ottawa: CANADIAN MUSEUM OF CIVILIZATION, 1995) 38.