1951

The Automatist Years: 1951

1951 - 1952

Participates in the Recent Quebec Paintings traveling exhibition organized by the National Gallery of Canada and the Vancouver Art Gallery for the Western Association of Art. The exhibition will be presented in Phoenix (Arizona), in Vancouver and in La Jolla (California), (Gagnon, 1978, p. 485). Borduas shows:

No 5. La Cathédrale enguirlandée, 1951
No 6. Plongeon au paysage oriental, 1944
No 7. Solitude minérale, 1949
No 8. Sous le vent de l'île, 1947

January

The Canadian Painting traveling exhibition, organized by the National Gallery of Canada for the National Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institute (first presented in Washington (D.C.) in October and November 1950), is mounted in San Francisco (Calif.) (Écrits I, p. 38). Borduas shows Les Carquois fleuris from 1947 and La Cavale infernale from 1943 (Gagnon, 1978, p. 484; 1988, p. 473).

March 5

Refuses to be member of the jury for the Salon du printemps at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Écrits I, p. 38).

March 10

Refuses an invitation to attend an assembly of the Canadian Peace Congress, in Toronto (Écrits I, p. 38).

April 7 - 22

Participates in the Artistes et collectionneurs contemporains exhibition at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, organized by the Federation of Canadian Artists; Borduas shows Lampadaire du matin, 1948, and L’Attente (ou Sous la mer), 1945, (Gagnon 1978, p. 485).

April 20 - June 3

The Borduas and De Tonnancour. Paintings and Drawings exhibition is mounted at the Art Gallery of Toronto (Écrits I, p. 38; Gagnon, 1978, p. 485-486; 1988, 473).); Borduas exhibits:

La Femme au bijou, 1945
Deux figures au plateau, 1948
Caprice sous-marin, 1946
Réunion matinale, 1947
Léda, 1945
Sous le vent de l’île, 1947
Les Voiles blancs du château-falaise, 1949
Le Carnaval des objets délaissés,1949
La Cité absurde,1949
Le Dernier colloque avant la Renaissance,1949
Réunion des trophées,1948
Mes pauvres petits soldats, 1949
Quelques objets palpitants,1950
La Passe au nid d’avions, 1950
Bombardement sous-marin,1948
Port(es) de la mer, 1950
Nature morte, (19??)
Figure au crépuscule,1944
Cimetière glorieux, 1948

May 2 - 30

Participates in the 68th Salon du Printemps at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Écrits I, p. 38); he exhibits Éruption imprévue from 1951, (Gagnon, 1978, p. 486).

May 16 - 31

The Les étapes du vivant — des objets de la nature aux objets surrationnels exhibition is held at, 81 Ontario Street east in Montreal (Écrits I, p. 38), gathering together works by Barbeau, Ferron, Mousseau, Gauvreau and Riopelle.

May 19 - 20

Travels to Toronto for an exhibition at the Art Gallery of Toronto (Écrits I, p. 38).

June 2 - 4

A Surprise Exhibition (Exposition surprise) by Borduas is held at his studio in Saint-Hilaire (Écrits I. p. 38); he shows nine sculptures, eighteen oil paintings and five ink works. (Gagnon, 1978, p. 486; 1988, p. 472).

Sculptures:

1. Russie, 1951
2. États-Unis, 1951
3. Angleterre, 1951
4. Grèce, 1951
5. France, 1951
6. Japon, 1951
7. Afrique,1951
8. Canada,1951
9. Égypte, 1951

Oil paintings:

1. Floraison massive, 1951
2. La Gerbe contrariée, (195?)
3. Facettes multicolores, (1951?)
4. Gyroscope intérieur, 1949
5. La Cathédrale enguirlandée, 1951
6. Plongeon au paysage oriental, 1944
7. Solitude minérale, 1949
8. Végétation atomique, 1951
9. Au coeur du rocher, 1950
10. Cloche d’alarme, 1950

Inks:

1. Rivalité au coeur rouge, 1951
2. Rayonnement à contre-jour, 1951
3. Le Temps se met au beau, 1951
4. Paysannerie, 1951
5. La Raie verte, 1951

June 21 - July 7

Takes part in an exhibition held at the Café du Parlement in Quebec City during the Festival de la Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste (Gagnon, 1978, p. 486; 1988, p. 472); he shows:

La Raie verte, 1951
Rayonnement, 1951
Temps, 1951
Rouge, 1951
Bleu, 1951

August 24 - September 8

Participates in the Canadian National Exhibition organized and held at the Art Gallery of Toronto (Écrits I, p. 39); Borduas shows Floraison massive from 1951, (Gagnon, 1978, p. 486; 1988, p. 473).

October - December

Takes part in the 1st Biennale of the Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo, Brazil (Écrits I, p. 39) where he shows Éruption imprévue, 1951, (Gagnon, 1978, p. 487; 1988, p. 472).

October 12 - 18

Stays in Toronto. Upon his return to Saint-Hilaire on the 19th, he discovered that his wife and children had left the family home (Écrits I, p. 39).

October 13 - 26

The Color Ink Paintings by Paul-Émile Borduas exhibition is mounted at the Picture Loan Society in Toronto (Écrits I, p. 39; Gagnon, 1978, p. 487; 1988, p. 473). The following paintings are shown:

Rayonnement à contre-jour, 1951
La Raie verte, 1951
Le Temps se met au beau, 1951
Tourbillon d'automne, 1951
Le Signal, (1951?)
Souvenir d'Égypte, 1950
La Plante héroïque, 1950
Minimum nécessaire, 1950
L'Idole aux signes, 1950
L'Attente des pylônes, 1950-1951
Aux îles Marquises, 1951
Tragédie baroque, 1950-1951
Bourdonnement des éphémères, 1950-1951
Sombre machine d'une nuit de fête, 1950
Les Parachutes en fleurs, (1951?)
La Noce sur fond jaune, 1951
Réveil du chasseur, (1951?)
Eau fraîche,1950-1951
Sur le Niger,19151
À la falaise de la voie lactée, 1950
Solitude du clown, 1950
Après-midi marin, 1951
Rendez-vous dans la neige, 1951
Aux îles du Sud, 1950-1951

November 2 - 11

The Fifth Annual Sale of Paintings and Sculptures is held at the Art Gallery of Toronto. (Écrits I, p. 39) Borduas shows Au cœur du rocher, 1950, (Gagnon 1978, p. 487).

November

Saint-Hilaire. L’Échoppe (at Jacques Dupire (Gagnon, 1978, p. 487).

December

Takes part in the 4th Annual Winter Exhibition organized by and held at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, where he shows Chinoiserie, 1951 and Les Îlots bleus, 1951, (Gagnon, 1978, p. 487).

December 10 - 25

Participates in the Art Exhibit of 20 Distinguished Montreal Artists organized by the Young Men's and Young Women’s Hebrew Association and held at the Snowdon Building in Montreal. Borduas shows La Femme au bijou, 1945, and Gyroscope, 1949 (Gagnon, 1978, p. 487).

December 18

Organizes two exhibitions at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Écrits I, p. 39).